Wicca Book Of Shadows Made By: Jim HD Page | 1

Index What is Wicca................................................................... ...............................8 What Witchcraft is.............................................................. ..............................................10 What Witchcraft is not......... ................................................................................ .............11 Movement of origin.............................................. ............................................................13 Two kinds Wiccan. ................................................................................ ...........................13 Both a god and a goddess.......................... ....................................................................14 Morality in wicca........................................................................ ......................................15 Fatal ideas about reincarnation........ ...............................................................................1 5 What Wicca is not............................................................... ...........................16 Questions about Witchcraft........................ ....................................................17 Are Wicca and Witchcraft the same thing?........................................ .............................17 Who do Witches Worship?......................... .....................................................................17 How do W itches view Christianity. Are Witches Anti-Christian?........................... ..........18 Can I follow the path of Wicca or Witchcraft and be a Christian too ?.............................18 The Wiccan Rede says "An it harm none, do as ye will." Does that mean a Witch can do anything they want and its OK if they just ify the action to themselves? ........................19 If Wicca and Witchcraft are not evil, why do you wear black robes?..............................20 OK, so if Wicca and Witchcraft are not evil, why do you hold rituals and ceremonies at night hidden in the woods?................................................... ...........................................20 What form does the practice of Wit chcraft take?............................................................20 How do you see the Goddess and God?................................................. .......................20 Do all Witches practice their religion the same way?.. ....................................................21 Is Witchcraft a cult?.... ................................................................................ .....................21 Do Witches have a bible?................................ ................................................................21 If Witches do n't have a bible, what do you use?.............................................. ...............21 The word Tradition is used quite often. What is the exact mean ing of this?...................22 Do Witches cast spells?....................... ...........................................................................22 Do Witches worship the devil?..................................................... ...................................22 Are Witches only women?................... ............................................................................22 H ow do Witches view Sex?......................................................... ....................................23 What is the purpose of performing ceremon ies Skyclad?..............................................23 Is Witchcraft a rel igion?.......................................................................... .........................23 How do Witches view death?.......................... ................................................................23 How can someo ne find out more about Witchcraft?.............................................. .........24 Definitions of Wicca, Pagan & Witchcraft........................................ ...............25 What Is Magick................................................ ...............................................26 How to Become a Wiccan or Witc h................................................................27 Warnings & C autions For The New Wiccan...................................................30 The Shadows are out there.......................................................

......................................30 You - yes, you can be a Vampire........ ............................................................................31 O ops! Did I just do that?........................................................ .........................................31 Power corrupts...................... ................................................................................ ..........32 Magickal Protection & Psychic Self-Defense...................................... ...........33 Divination & Scrying.............................................. .........................................35 Elements & Magick................... .....................................................................36 ELEMENTALS...................................................................... ...........................................37 YIN YANG.......................... ................................................................................ ..............37 Page | 2

SIMPLE MAGICK................................................................... .........................................38 The Concept Of Deity............................................................ .........................38 The Supreme Creative Force...................................................... ....................................38 Polarities of The One.................... ................................................................................ ...38 Witches Reed of Chivalry........................................................ .......................39 Before Time Was....................................... .....................................................41 Goddess................. ................................................................................ ........42 The Charge Of The Goddess....................................................... ...................................44 Song of the Goddess....................... ................................................................................ 46 The Legend of the descent of the Goddess..................................... ...............................47 The Charge of the Dark Goddess................ ...................................................................48 Charge of the Crone....................................................................... .................................49 God............................................................................. ...................................50 The Charge Of The God........................................................... .......................................52 The Charge of the Sun God............. ...............................................................................5 4 The Charge of the Dark God.................................................... .......................................55 Charge of the Horned God.............. ................................................................................ 56 Witch Living Rules and laws..................................................... .....................57 13 Goals of the Witch........................................................... ...........................................57 The Law of Return................. ................................................................................ ..........59 The Law Of Power................................................... ........................................................60 The Law ............. ................................................................................ .............................60 The Sacred Wood................................. ...........................................................................61 Gi ve Thanks....................................................................... .............................................61 Show Respect.................... ................................................................................ .............61 Find balance.................................................... ................................................................62 The 161 Laws. ................................................................................ .................................63 The Proposed Laws........................... ..............................................................................72 Time of Magic................................................................... ..............................74 Weekdays........................................................................ ................................................74 Sabbaths..................... ................................................................................ ....................76 Moon..................................................... ...........................................................................76 Ti

me of day ...................................................................... ...............................................76 Signs & Symbols................................................................. ...........................77 Tools from Wicca.................................. ..........................................................80 Athamen......................................................................... .................................................80 Bollinen.................... ................................................................................ ........................80 Bells................................................ ................................................................................ .80 Incense..................................................................... .......................................................80 The cup............... ................................................................................ .............................80 The diet........................................ ................................................................................ ....81 The pentagram............................................................ ....................................................81 Statues.................. ................................................................................ ...........................81 The stick......................................... ................................................................................ .81 The sword................................................................... .....................................................81 The Elements.................................................................... .............................82 Earth........................................................................... .....................................................82 Air..................... ................................................................................ ...............................82 Fire.......................................... ................................................................................ .........83 Page | 3

Water........................................................................... ....................................................83 Spirit................... ................................................................................ ..............................84 The Altar....................................................................... ..................................85 Important Wiccans and witches texts........ .....................................................86 The Witches' Creed.............................................................. ...........................................86 The Wiccan Rede................... ................................................................................ .........87 The Wiccan Credo.................................................... .......................................................88 Drawing Down the Moon. ................................................................................ ................90 The Great Rite Invocation.................................... ...........................................................92 Stories......................................................................... ...................................94 Air Meditation.................................................................. .................................................94 The place where you relax... ................................................................................ ...........95 The Magic Circle................................................................ ............................97 The Purposes of a Circle........................................................ .........................................97 Questions about Opening the circle.. ..............................................................................97 What is a Circle?............................................................... ............................................................. 97 Why do you need a Circle?...................................................................... ....................................... 97 What do I need to know to cast a circ le?............................................................................. ........... 97 What is the purpose of your circle?.............................. ..................................................................98 How big wil l your circle be?............................................................... ............................................. 98 How will you visualize your cir cle?............................................................................ ...................... 98 Can you keep your focus for as long as it takes to set up the circle?.............................................98 When do I cast th e circle?....................................................................... ....................................... 98 Casting A Circle - How do I know if I did it?........................................................................ ............99 Casting A Circle - What's this about cutting a door?............. ..........................................................99 I live in an apartm ent; will the people downstairs walk into my circle and mess it up?............. ......99 When and how do I take the circle down?................................ ......................................................99 What's the best way to practice casting a circle?...................................................... ....................100 Jim Hds way of making the circle................................................ ..................................101 Opening the circle.............................................................. ........................................................... 101 Closing the circ le.............................................................................. ............................................ 102 How To Cast a Circle 1..........................................................

........................................103 How to Cast a Circle 2.............. ................................................................................ .....107 How to Cast a Circle 3................................................. ..................................................110 Opening the circle........ ................................................................................ ..................111 Calling the Quarters/Casting Your Circle ................. .....................................................114 Casting The Circle 1... ................................................................................ ...................117 Casting and Closing a Circle............................. ............................................................118 How to Cast a Circle............................................................ ......................................................... 118 How to Close a Cir cle............................................................................. ...................................... 119 Casting the circle 2............................................................ ............................................120 Taken from Scott Cunningham's Wicca:............................................ ...........................................121 Spells & Witchcraft............................................................. ..........................123 Book of Shadows Blessings....................................................... ...................................123 Self-Forgiveness Pray.................... ...............................................................................1 24 Bless you.................................................................... ...................................................125 A Person Blessing........ ................................................................................ .................126 Blessing for the Body...................................... ..............................................................127 Refresh your S elf............................................................................. ..............................128 A Blessing for Self Image..................... .........................................................................129 Ele mental Blessing................................................................. .......................................129 Nine Elements Blessing............... ................................................................................ 129 Page | 4

Luck............................................................................ ...................................................129 House Blessing........... ................................................................................ ...................130 A Parting Blessing....................................... ..................................................................130 Songs........................................................................... ................................131 I am............................................................................ ....................................................131 Chants.......................................................................... ................................132 Daily sun....................................................................... .................................................132 Sorrow..................... ................................................................................ ......................132 Dream charm .......................................... ......................................................................132 Spirit Protection Wreath ............................................................. ..................................133 Beauty ................................... ................................................................................ .......133 Meditation .......................................................... ...........................................................133 Prayer of holding ............................................................................... ...........................134 Undo curse ...................................... .............................................................................134 Evocation of the Witch......................................................... ..........................................135 Elements Poem..................... ................................................................................ ........136 Born of Elements.................................................... .......................................................137 Witches' Chant....... ................................................................................ ........................138 The Witches Rune.................................... .....................................................................139 Glossary........................................................................ ...............................140 Akasha.......................................................................... .................................................140 Amulet..................... ................................................................................ .......................140 Ankh................................................. ..............................................................................14 0 Asperger...................................................................... ..................................................140 Astral projection......... ................................................................................ ....................140 Astrology............................................... .........................................................................140 Ath ame............................................................................. .............................................140 Balefire....................... ................................................................................ ...................140 Bane..................................................... .........................................................................141 Bel tane............................................................................ ..............................................141 Besom......................... ................................................................................ ...................141 Bolline.................................................. ..........................................................................141 Ba nish............................................................................ ................................................141 Bells....................... ................................................................................

........................141 Bind................................................ ................................................................................ 141 Blood of the Moon........................................................... ..............................................141 Book of Shadows............... ................................................................................ ............142 The Burning Times............................................... .........................................................142 Cauldron........... ................................................................................ .............................142 Censer......................................... ................................................................................ ..142 Call...................................................................... ...........................................................142 Chalice.......... ................................................................................ .................................142 Charging................................... ................................................................................ .....142 Circle................................................................. .............................................................143 Conscious Mind. ................................................................................ ............................143 Coven........................................... ................................................................................ .143 Covenstead................................................................. ..................................................143 Deosil.................... ................................................................................ .........................143 Divination......................................... ..............................................................................14 3 Divine Power.................................................................. ...............................................143 Page | 5

Drawing Down The Moon........................................................... ...................................143 Duality.................................. ................................................................................ ..........144 Earth Power....................................................... ............................................................144 Elements........ ................................................................................ ................................144 Elemental................................... ................................................................................ ....144 Esbat................................................................... ...........................................................144 Evocation........ ................................................................................ ...............................144 God.......................................... ................................................................................ ......144 Goddess............................................................... .........................................................144 Grimoire........... ................................................................................ ..............................144 Handfasting................................... ................................................................................ 145 Herbalism................................................................... ...................................................145 Imbolc................... ................................................................................ .........................145 Incense............................................ ..............................................................................14 5 Initiation.................................................................... .....................................................145 Invocation............. ................................................................................ .........................145 Karma.............................................. ..............................................................................14 5 Labrys........................................................................ ....................................................145 Lughnasadh.............. ................................................................................ .....................146 Mabon.................................................. ..........................................................................146 Ma gick............................................................................ ...............................................146 Magick Circle................ ................................................................................ .................146 Meditation................................................. .....................................................................146 Megalit h............................................................................... ..........................................146 Menhir............................ ................................................................................ ................146 Midsummer................................................... .................................................................147 Mighty Ones ................................................................................ ..................................147 Neo-Pagan................................. ................................................................................ ...147 Ogham Alphabet........................................................... .................................................147 Old Ones................... ................................................................................ ....................147 Ostara.................................................. ..........................................................................147 Pa gan............................................................................. ...............................................147 Pantheism.................... ................................................................................ ..................148 Passing Over.............................................. ...................................................................148 Pendulum. ................................................................................ .....................................148 Pentacle............................... ................................................................................ ..........148 Pentagram.........................................................

............................................................148 Personal Power.. ................................................................................ ...........................148 Polarity......................................... ................................................................................ ..149 Polytheism................................................................ .....................................................149 Projective Hand........ ................................................................................ .....................149 Psychic Mind........................................... ......................................................................149 Psychi sm.............................................................................. .........................................149 Receptive Hand..................... ................................................................................ ........149 Reincarnation....................................................... .........................................................149 Ritual............. ................................................................................ .................................150 Ritual Consciousness....................... .............................................................................150 Runes.......................................................................... ..................................................150 Sabbat.................... ................................................................................ .......................150 Samhain.............................................. ..........................................................................150 Pa ge | 6

Scrying......................................................................... ..................................................150 Shaman.................... ................................................................................ .....................151 Shamanism.............................................. ......................................................................151 Simple Feast.......................................................................... ........................................151 Skyclad............................. ................................................................................ .............151 Solitary....................................................... ....................................................................151 Spell... ................................................................................ ............................................151 Spirits of the Stones........... ................................................................................ ...........151 Staff............................................................ ...................................................................151 The Summe rland........................................................................... ................................151 Talisman.................................... ................................................................................ ....152 Threefold Law........................................................... .....................................................152 Tradition.............. ................................................................................ ...........................152 Trilithon........................................ ................................................................................ ..152 Triple Goddess............................................................ ..................................................152 Visualization............. ................................................................................ .....................152 Wand................................................... ..........................................................................152 Wh ite-Handled Knife............................................................... ......................................152 Wicca................................. ................................................................................ ............153 Wiccan Rede..................................................... ............................................................153 Widdershins..... ................................................................................ ..............................153 Witch......................................... ................................................................................ .....153 Witchcraft............................................................. ..........................................................153 Yule.............. ................................................................................ ..................................154 Finding a Teacher, Mentor or Guide.............................................. ...............155 How others look at Wicca and Wiccans......................... ..............................157 Military Views on Wicca - US Army............................................... ................................157 OTHER NAMES BY WHICH KNOWN...................................................... .................................... 157 LEADERSHIP............................. ................................................................................ .................. 157 MEMBERSHIP............................................... .............................................................................. 1 57 HISTORICAL ORIGIN............................................................ ....................................................... 158 BASIC BELIEFS....... ................................................................................ .................................... 158 PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS..... ......................................................................159 ORGANI ZATIONAL STRUCTURE.............................................................. ................................. 160 ROLE OF MINISTERS......................... ................................................................................ ........ 161 WORSHIP............................................................

........................................................................ 161 FUN ERAL AND BURIAL REQUIREMENTS.................................................... .............................162 MEDICAL TREATMENT.............................. ................................................................................ . 162 OTHER..................................................................... .................................................................... 162 A Christian Speaks of Wicca and Witchcraft...................................... ...........................163 A Situation of Strife and Shame................................................. ................................................... 163 The Bible's view of pagans and witches.......................................... .............................166 Translated By................................................................... ............................167 Page | 7

What is Wicca Contrary to what those who choose to persecute or lie about us wish to believe, Wicca is a very peaceful, harmonious and balanced way of life which promotes one ness with the divine and all which exists. Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/wicca.htm Wicca (Old English word for "witch") is a pagan nature-based religion characteri zed by the pre-Christian beliefs and practices in Europe. Source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Wicca Wicca is a deep appreciation and awe in watching the sunrise or sunset, the fore st in the light of a glowing moon, a meadow enchanted by the first light of day. It is the morning dew on the petals of a beautiful flower, the gentle caress of a warm summer breeze upon your skin, or the warmth of the summer sun on your fa ce. Wicca is the fall of colorful autumn leaves, and the softness of winter snow . It is light, and shadow and all that lies in between. It is the song of the bi rds and other creatures of the wild. It is being in the presence of Mother Earth s nature and being humbled in reverence. When we are in the temple of the Lord a nd Lady, we are not prone to the arrogance of human technology as they touch our souls. To be a Witch is to be a healer, a teacher, a seeker, a giver, and a pro tector of all things. If this path is yours, may you walk it with honor, light a nd integrity. Wicca is a belief system and way of life based upon the reconstruc tion of preChristian traditions originating in Ireland, Scotland, and Wales. Whi le much of the information of how our ancestors lived, worshiped and believed ha s been lost due to the efforts of the medieval church to wipe our existence from history, we try to reconstruct those beliefs to the best of our ability with th e information that is available. Thanks to archaeological discoveries, we now ha ve basis to believe that the origins of our belief system can be traced even fur ther back to the Paleolithic peoples who worshipped a Hunter God and a Fertility Goddess. With the discovery of these cave paintings, estimated to be around 30, 000 years old, depicting a man with the head of a stag, and a pregnant woman sta nding in a circle with eleven other people, it can reasonably be assumed that Wi tchcraft is one of the oldest belief systems known in the world toady. These arc hetypes are clearly recognized by Wiccan as our view of the Goddess and God aspe ct of the supreme creative force and predate Christianity by roughly 28,000 year s making it a mere toddler in the spectrum of time as we know it. What is Wicca Page | 8

Witchcraft in ancient history was known as "The Craft of the Wise" because most who followed the path were in tune with the forces of nature, had a knowledge of Herbs and medicines, gave council and were valuable parts of the village and co mmunity as Shamanic healers and leaders. They understood that mankind is not sup erior to nature, the earth and its creatures but instead we are simply one of th e many parts, both seen and unseen that combine to make the whole. As Chief Seat tle said; "We do not own the earth, we are part of it." These wise people unders tood that what we take or use, we must return in kind to maintain balance and eq uilibrium. Clearly, modern man with all his applied learning and technology has forgotten this. Subsequently, we currently face ecological disaster and eventual extinction because of our hunger for power and a few pieces of gold. For the pa st several hundred years, the image of the Witch has been mistakenly associated with evil, heathenism, and unrighteousness. In my humble opinion, these misconce ptions have their origin in a couple of different places. To begin, the medieval church of the 15th through 18th centuries created these myths to convert the fo llowers of the old nature based religions to the churches way of thinking. By ma king the Witch into a diabolical character and turning the old religious deities into devils and demons, the missionaries were able to attach fear to these beli efs which aided in the conversion process. Secondly, as medical science began to surface, the men who were engaged in these initial studies had a very poor unde rstanding of female physiology, especially in the area of a women's monthly cycl es. The unknowns in this area played very well with the early churches agenda le nding credence to the Witch Hunters claims and authority. The fledgling medical professions also stood to benefit greatly from this because it took the power of the women healers away giving it to the male physicians transferring the respec t and power to them. Unfortunately these misinformed fears and superstitions hav e carried forward through the centuries and remain to this day. This is why many who follow these nature oriented beliefs have adopted the name of Wicca over it s true name of Witchcraft to escape the persecution, harassment and misinformati on associated with the name of Witchcraft and Witch not to mention the bad publi city the press and Hollywood has given us simply to generate a profit. Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/wicca.htm What is Wicca Page | 9

What Witchcraft is Witchcraft is a spiritual system that fosters the free though t and will of the individual, encourages learning and an understanding of the ea rth and nature thereby affirming the divinity in all living things. Most importa ntly however, it teaches responsibility. We accept responsibility for our action s and deeds as clearly a result of the choices we make. We do not blame an exter ior entity or being for our shortcomings, weaknesses or mistakes. If we mess up or do something that brings harm to another, we have no one but ourselves to bla me and we must face the consequences resulting from those actions. No ifs, ands or buts and no whining... We acknowledge the cycles of nature, the lunar phases and the seasons to celebrate our spirituality and to worship the divine. It is a belief system that allows the Witch to work with, not in supplication to deitie s with the intent of living in harmony and achieving balance with all things. Th e spells that we do involve healing, love, harmony, wisdom and creativity. The p otions that we stir might be a headache remedy, a cold tonic, or an herbal flea bath for our pets. We strive to gain knowledge of and use the natural remedies p laced on this earth by the divine for our benefit instead of using synthetic dru gs unless absolutely necessary. Wiccan believe that the spirit of the One, Godde ss and God exist in all things. In the trees, rain, flowers, the sea, in each ot her and all of natures creatures. This means that we must treat "all things" of the Earth as aspects of the divine. We attempt to honor and respect life in all its many manifestations both seen and unseen. Wiccan learn from and revere the g ift of nature from divine creation by celebrating the cycles of the sun, moon an d seasons. We search within ourselves for the cycles that correspond to those of the natural world and try to live in harmony with the movement of this universa l energy. Our teachers are the trees, rivers, lakes, meadows, mountains and anim als as well as others who have walked this path before us. This belief creates a reverence and respect for the environment, and all life upon the Earth. We also revere the spirits of the elements of Earth, Air, Fire and Water which combine to manifest all creation. From these four elements we obtain insight to the rhyt hms of nature and understand they are also the rhythms of our own lives. What is Wicca Page | 10

Because Witches have been persecuted for so many centuries, we believe in religi ous freedom first! We do not look at our path as the only way to achieve spiritu ality, but as one path among many to the same end. We are not a missionary relig ion out to convert new members to think the same as we do. We are willing to sha re our experience and knowledge with those who seek our wisdom and perspective h owever. We believe that anyone who is meant for this path will find it through t heir own search as the Goddess speaks to each of us in her time and way. Wiccan practice tolerance and acceptance toward all other religions as long as those fa iths do not persecute others or violate the tenant of "Harm None." Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/wicca.htm What Witchcraft is not Witchcraft or Wicca is not a cult. We do not proclaim ourse lves to be spokespersons for the divine or try to get others to follow us as the ir leaders. We do not worship Satan or consort with Demons. Satan is a Christian c reation and they can keep him. We do not need a paranoid creation of supreme evi l and eternal damnation to scare us into doing the right thing and helping other s. We choose to do the right thing and love our brothers and sisters because it IS the right thing and it feels good to do it. I suppose it is a maturity thing. We do not sacrifice animals or humans because that would violate our basic tenant of "Harm None." Anyone who does and claims to be a Wiccan or a Witch is lying. We have no need to steal or control the life force of another to achieve mystical or supernatural powers. We draw our energy from within, our personal relationshi p with the divine and nature. We do not use the forces of nature or the universe t o hex or cast spells on others. Again, "Harm None" is the whole of the law. Witc hes have a very strict belief in the Law of Three which states that whatever we send out into our world shall return to us three fold either good or bane. With this in mind, a "True Witch" would hesitate in doing magick to harm or manipulat e another because that boomerang we throw will eventually come back to us much l arger and harder then when we threw it. What is Wicca Page | 11

This is not to say that Witches are perfect, we are human too just like everyone else and make mistakes and errors in judgment. Just as there are parents who lo ve and nurture their children, there are parents who abuse their children. As th ere are many who devote their lives to giving and helping mankind, likewise ther e are those who devote their lives to taking advantage of and using people for t heir own gain. Unfortunately the same flaws in human nature applies to witches t oo. Most of us continually strive to consider all potential outcomes of our thou ghts and actions pausing to seriously consider the consequences before undertaki ng a ritual, spell or rite that could go astray. It is when we follow the path w ith the love of the Goddess in our hearts and adhere to the basic tenant of the Reed that our works are beneficial and we achieve harmony and balance with all t hings. The heart of Wicca is not something summed up into a few short words and can often take on different meaning to each since the Lord and Lady touch us in different ways. To gain a fuller understanding of the Craft, I urge you visit th e other pages on this site as well as following the links to a select group of e xceptional Wiccan and Witchcraft sites. Through the wisdom and words set down th rough the ages, you will find that you are able to understand the basis of our b eliefs and how they may apply to you. Your inner voice will also quickly let you know if the intent of what you are reading is for superficial purposes to benef it self instead of working to benefit the whole. Remember to read with your hear t, for it is when you see life and the world with your heart and spirit that you truly gain an understanding of what Wicca is. Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/wicca.htm What is Wicca Page | 12

Movement of origin Wicca began in earnest in 1954 when Gerald Brosseau Gardner ( 1884-1964) published his first book on witchcraft, Witchcraft Today (witchcraft today). Gardner claimed that he had been initiated into a Coven (a collection of witches) in 1939 by Dorothy Clutterbuck, a wealthy English woman who is said to have been a leading figure in the "New Forest Coven." The Coven was a collectio n of pagan witches, who is said to have met in the English region of New Forest in the early twentieth century. About this Coven actually existed, is still an i ssue today. Source: http://www.religion.dk/artikel/335730:Andre-religioner--Hvad-er-Wicca Two kinds Wiccan There are essentially two main groups of practitioners within W icca: eclectics and those engaged in Covens. Eclectic Wiccan is a collective nam e for the Wiccan who is not dedicated or belonging to a particular tradition of Wicca, but practicing on their own. Eclectics are primarily their knowledge from books, websites and through personal experience, since they are subsumed into o ne group. Many are forced to practice Wicca alone, because there exists a Coven nearby. A Coven, or a mess as it is called in Danish, is a witch groups of maxim um 13 persons. Traditionally, a Coven is led by a high priestess and high priest . A Coven is formed when some Wiccan decides to regularly practice their faith t ogether. Source: http://www.religion.dk/artikel/335730:Andre-religioner--Hvad-er-Wicca What is Wicca Page | 13

Both a god and a goddess In Wicca worship a God and a Goddess as opposites, a re ligious idea which is akin to the Taoist concept of yin and yang. Traditionally called God "The Horned God" and is associated with nature, wilderness, sexuality , and hunting. Goddess - "The Great Mother Goddess" is often seen as a triple go ddess with aspects of 'Virgo', 'mother' and 'Old Woman' and portrayed often as a lunar goddess. Most Wiccans see the Goddess as the leader because she has every thing. God is just the spark of life and inspiration within the Goddess, at the same time her lover and child simultaneously. Personalities from other religions , as the Virgin Mary and the Hindu goddess Kali, often seen as manifestations of the Great Mother Goddess. Goddess and God can make themselves known through the body of the priestesses and priests through the full moon ritual, "Drawing Down the Moon" (To Draw Down the Moon). Wiccan sees the spiritual and material world as overlapping. The gods are not distant existences, but close to, and in total . Emphasis is much emphasis on the personal experience of the divine, and that t here is harmony with nature. Source: http://www.religion.dk/artikel/335730:Andre-religioner--Hvad-er-Wicca What is Wicca Page | 14

Morality in wicca The moral of Wicca is largely based on "The Wiccan Nest", whic h states that one must do as you like, as long as you take responsibility for hi s actions, and do their utmost to avoid harming themselves or others. It reads " An Ye Harm None, Do As Ye Will" (If it does no harm, Do What You Want). Addition ally weighted "The Rule of Three" (Act 3 time of return), which prescribes that good or bad deeds will come back to a 3-fold. Source: http://www.religion.dk/artikel/335730:Andre-religioner--Hvad-er-Wicca Fatal ideas about reincarnation Many Wiccans believe in reincarnation. The perce ption is that before this life rests the soul of a moment in the "Other World" a nd "Summerland." Therefore, many believe Wiccan that it is possible to contact t he dead man's soul through the media or Ouija-board, while others do not believe in this practice. Though Wiccans have several ideas about the afterlife, it is the present life, they focus on. Source: http://www.religion.dk/artikel/335730:Andre-religioner--Hvad-er-Wicca What is Wicca Page | 15

What Wicca is not Wicca is not satanist or devil worship in any form. gods are double-sided they h ave both dark and bright sides of it. This creates balance just as the Goddess a nd God creates a balance between them. The worship of only the feminine or mascu line will create imbalance. But back to what wicca is NOT. It is not no sect, wh o want to exploit innocent or brainwash others. In that time I have studied wicc a, nature and the gods, I have had very little contact with others, since I've k nown so many. And now we're at it, then I want in on the topic called nudity dur ing rituals. This is up to the individual! It's about to follow him comfortable. Regarding sex, it's not something wicca mixed in. It's not a sin, as we see it in Christianity, but it's not something that occurs when you practice wicca in t his country. I have not seen anyone who uses it, or heard or read about someone who uses it in Denmark. Personally I do not think it belongs in such places. Wic ca is not an association or organization that you join in. There are a number of venues on the web where you can chat with like-minded, and more places are orga nized tours, where you can meet with others. Finally, I would like to make the s ame challenge that I met when I first began my own quest: Read and learn, but be skeptical! Find your own truth, for what is true for me is not necessarily true for you. Do not compromise your positions and follow your heart and your intuit ion - it can not go wrong. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ Page | 16

Questions about Witchcraft Are Wicca and Witchcraft the same thing? Some say yes, and some say no. I suppos e the only way to navigate this question safely is to point out what some may co nsider the main differences. In general, Wiccans feel free to review different b elief systems, such as Celtic, Norse, Essene, Gnosis, or Shamanism, and then ble nd together any points that "feel" right into their own personal path. Pure Witc hcraft on the other hand, may focus a little more tightly on using Magick and ri tual to work with the elemental and spiritual forces in nature. Regardless, I fe el the differences are slight in that Wicca and Witchcraft both work to achieve balance and harmony within nature and self. Personally, I follow a predominately Celtic Witch/Tantric path. As time passes, I find myself increasingly drawing u pon the wisdom and beliefs of other spiritual paths as my knowledge and understa nding of them increases. So, when asked I'll tell you I'm a Witch, I also consid er myself a Wiccan and perhaps part Shaman because I utilize and blend aspects o f them all. Who do Witches Worship? There is a single power defined as the One o r All, which is composed of everything it has ever created. This supreme energy force does not rule over the Universe, it IS the Universe. Since most find it di fficult to talk to or call upon a faceless mass of Divine energy, this supreme p ower is personified into male and female aspects as the Goddess and God. This si mply makes the concept easier for the human mind to comprehend and relate to. So me take this concept a step further and use actual names, like Astarte, Isis, Od in, Pan, Dianna, Cernunnos, etc., when invoking the Goddess and God. In the end, it is a personal preference and what a Witch uses depends on what "feels" right for them individually. Questions about Witchcraft Page | 17

How do Witches view Christianity. Are Witches Anti-Christian? Not necessarily. W itchcraft, overall, is very tolerant of other religious views, and does not enga ge itself in criticizing the beliefs of other people, providing that their belie fs do not violate the basic tenant of "Harm None." Witches do object to religion s that attempt to suppress the religious beliefs of others, or every human's rig ht to seek spirituality in their own way. This is why there is a slight rub betw een Wiccans, Pagans, Witches, and some Christians. Many of them feel they have e xclusive rights to the divine. We also have a strong disdain for those who use r eligion as an excuse to commit mass genocide. The "Burning Times" are a clear hi storical example of one religious group attempting to exert its philosophies and beliefs upon others using extreme measures. Perhaps an over simplified way of d escribing our view is this: Imagine a beautiful meadow in the forest, and their are many paths leading to this meadow. It really does not matter which path you take to get there, the important thing is that you get there without harming any one or anything along the way. Can I follow the path of Wicca or Witchcraft and be a Christian too? Again, some say yes and others maintain that they are comple tely separate religions. I believe that if one looks closely at the true teachin gs of Jesus with an open heart, you will find some stark commonalities. It is on ly when one takes literally the sometimes frail misinterpretations of those who misunderstood the intent or used the teachings to suit their own political agend as that one see's wide differences. As a solitary you are free to choose any pat h you desire, or any blend that "feels" right to you. The important thing is to not allow a name or word to become a stumbling block. It is the intent of your a ctions and spirituality that matters in the end. I realize it is a poor comparis on; Peanut Butter and Chocolate are two completely separate things. The fact rem ains, however, that they work pretty well when mixed together. Ultimately you mu st do what "feels" right to you... Questions about Witchcraft Page | 18

The Wiccan Rede says "An it harm none, do as ye will." Does that mean a Witch ca n do anything they want and its OK if they justify the action to themselves? An excellent question indeed! and the answer is no... The whole premise of our beli ef system is based on living in harmony with all things that exist. This include s, but is not limited to the earth, trees, rivers, lakes, oceans, air, and all o f earth's creatures, as well as other people without regard to race, color, reli gion, or sexual orientation. My interpretation of the Rede tells me that the cre ative force of the universe has given me an inner voice, or "conscience," which tells me what is right or wrong. It is also this consciousness that connects me to the creator. By listening to this inner voice, (Perhaps I should clarify here . No I do not hear voices, *smile* it is more like something I feel) I try to an alyze my impulses and feelings to ensure they are not driven by greed, lust, env y, prejudice or anger. If they are, I try to put them in perspective or discard them all together. I then use common sense and judgment in my actions and accept full responsibility for them. This is not always easy to do, but I try. By keep ing these ideals of right and wrong foremost in my mind, as well as seeking to o btain harmony and balance with nature and all living things, I am able to do my best at following the Rede as I go through my day. This is not to say that Witch es are perfect, never do anything wrong, or make mistakes. We are still human. W e are aware of, or try to be aware of the karmic return of our actions, and are very careful not to send out negative energy in thought or deed. Yes, sometimes a Witch will focus an energy form toward someone who needs a psychic zap. This i s only done however when a person is consistently doing something very wrong wit hin society and causing a lot of harm to others. If and when a Witch does zap so meone, they do so with the full knowledge that it will eventually return to them and there will be a price to pay according to the Law of Three. There are times when we simply must make a personal sacrifice for the good of the whole and sho ulder this weight. When confronted with this type of situation, I prefer to brin g this person to the attention of the Goddess, asking her that justice be done a ccording to her will. In this way I am not focusing negative energy towards the individual and therefore am less likely to suffer karmic repercussions. Questions about Witchcraft Page | 19

If Wicca and Witchcraft are not evil, why do you wear black robes? This is anoth er baseless superstition and Witches wear clothing and robes of every color. Bla ck is the combination of all colors and all vibrational rates of light on the ma terial plane. It is known that black is a very good conductor of energy, therefo re wearing black simply helps Witches absorb natural energy to increase the powe r of their thought forms. Personally, I do my Magickal work naked. Gawd, there's an ugly visualization for ya! LOL... OK, so if Wicca and Witchcraft are not evi l, why do you hold rituals and ceremonies at night hidden in the woods? This pra ctice has its history in a couple of different things, none of which have anythi ng to do with evil... In the old world, especially within the Celtic tribes, the day followed an entirely different schedule than it does in modern times. The n ew day for them actually began at sunset. This is also why most observances of h olidays were celebrated on the evening before the actual calendar day. The secon d reason is that survival had an entirely different meaning during those times. Almost without exception, everyone spent their daylight hours tending the crops, their herds, or engaged in their trade. All daylight hours were vitally importa nt simply for survival reasons. OK, so that takes care of why we observed our ri tes at night during ancient times, and many of the reasons are the same in today 's times. For one, most of us are busy working all day earning a living, so the evening is the only time we have to seek spiritual communion. Secondly, Wicca an d Witchcraft are still largely misunderstood religions and we are still persecut ed for our beliefs. Another reason which is important for me, and possibly for o thers as well is that I feel a special closeness to the Goddess and God at night . Yes I can, and do, enjoy the mountains and meadows during the daylight, or a s unrise and sunset, but I am truly more aware of the heavens and the great expans e of the Universe at night, so it just makes sense for me. What form does the pr actice of Witchcraft take? The form and context vary from group to group, and be tween each ritual, and may run the gamut from elaborate ceremony to spontaneous ritual to simple meditation. How do you see the Goddess and God? Wiccans believe that there are female/male aspects to the One or All and without the union and balance of these two aspects, nothing can exist. See Before Time Was or read the answer to question number two above again for more insight. Questions about Witchcraft Page | 20

Do all Witches practice their religion the same way? Yes and no. Wicca is a high ly individualistic religion. Moreover, the number of different sects within the Craft may give the impression that no two groups practice the same way. Though p ractices may vary, most traditions have many similarities, such as the working o f magick and a respect for nature. Most Witches find enough common ground for mu tual support and productive networking throughout the Craft community. Is Witchc raft a cult? No. Cults are groups that trade a sense of salvation and belonging for the ability to think for oneself. They indulge in extravagant homage or ador ation (Webster's Dictionary), usually of an earthly leader of some sort. If you know a real Witch, you'll quickly come to find the term "Cult" could not apply t o us. Most Wiccans, Witches and pagans come to the Craft individually through re ading and communing with nature. They often will remain solitary in their belief s but other will also find like-minded people to celebrate seasonal cycles or mo nthly moons with. Witches are extremely individualistic, self sufficient and def end the right of free will without hesitation. Do Witches have a bible? No. A bi ble is supposedly the word of a deity revealed through a prophet. Witchcraft is a Pagan folk-religion of personal experience. Witchcraft in the old times was mu ch the same as the beliefs of the Essenes, Gnostics, Druids, and many other reli gions. The teachings were passed along by spoken word through long periods of on e-on-one instruction with an Elder of the Craft. This approach was taken because the power and knowledge could be misused in the wrong hands. Therefore, by usin g only the spoken word, the old masters could ensure those who wished to follow the path had a true understanding and their hearts were in the right place as th eir knowledge of the mysteries grew. Unfortunately, when the medieval church beg an its attempts to convert and eliminate rival belief systems, the teachers were either killed outright or went underground resulting in much of the ancient kno wledge being lost. If Witches don't have a bible, what do you use? Most modern W itches keep a Book of Shadows, (BOS) or Grimoire, which is more like an individu als workbook, journal, or diary, meaningful to the person who keeps it. This boo k contains rituals, discoveries, spells, poetry, herb lore, etc. Covens almost a lways keep a similar group book. I am not exactly sure how the name "Book of Sha dows" came to be, but I would assume that this also ties into the Burning Times when the church set out to eliminate all texts along with the followers of the o ld ways. The writings that existed were more than likely were taken into the sha dows and hidden with the survivors. Questions about Witchcraft Page | 21

The word Tradition is used quite often. What is the exact meaning of this? Here the word Tradition relates to the beliefs of a specific geographical region such as Celtic, Germanic, Norse, etc., and is sometimes broken down into further sub sets. Essentially it is much the same as the variety of denominations seen withi n Christianity, such as Methodist, Mormon or Catholic. Do Witches cast spells? S ome do and some don't. Spellwork should never be the focus of following this pat h and those who seek our ways only for this purpose are very misguided. A spell is a ritual formula, or series of steps, to direct psychic energy to accomplish a desired end. This energy is drawn from the Earth with the aid of elementals, c oncentrated and sent out into the world to achieve a positive goal. Since Witchc raft teaches that whatever one sends out is returned threefold, Witches are very careful to never send out harmful energy carelessly. The Christian word for thi s is "Prayer". The only real difference is that Witches also invoke the aid of s pirit guides, familiars or other elemental energies to add strength to the proce ss as well as using ritual tools. Do Witches worship the devil? No. Satan, or th e Devil, has absolutely no place in Wicca or Witchcraft. The worship of Satan is the practice of profaning Christian symbolism and is thus a Christian heresy, r ather than a Pagan religion. The Goddess and God of the Witches are in no way co nnected to Satanic practices. Satan, or the Devil, is a Christian creation and t hey are more than welcome to keep him. Are Witches only women? No, although wome n do seem to predominate in the Craft overall. In fact, some traditions have onl y women practitioners, just as others have only men. A male Witch is simply call ed a Witch, never a warlock and it is considered an insult to call a male Witch "Warlock". The word "Warlock" actually means "oath breaker". Some traditions of Wicca separate between female/male. The word "Wicce" pronounced (Wik-kay) design ates a female Witch and "Wicca" pronounced (Wik-kah) designates a male Witch. Questions about Witchcraft Page | 22

How do Witches view Sex? Sex is part of nature and sacred to the Deities and Wit ches. Just like everyone else, we think it's wonderful. The Great Rite at Beltan e is a symbolic representation of the union between the Goddess and God resultin g in the creation of all that exists. Very few, if any, traditions engage in sex as a part of group rites and there are no orgies during ritual. Many couples wh o have chosen each other, and jointly follow the path, do use sex magick in thei r private rites and rituals, however. It is a deeply intimate sharing of body, s pirit and soul which bonds them together closer than anything else can. What is the purpose of performing ceremonies Skyclad? The term skyclad means "Clad only by the sky". Not all Witches perform rituals skyclad, but there are those who be lieve that the absence of clothing allows energy to transfer to and from them mo re freely. Many simply feel closer to the Goddess and God while in their natural form without the bindings of human technology, insecurities or socially retarde d inhibitions regarding the human form. Many wear a robe or some other clothing made of natural materials while participating in group activities and go skyclad only when observing rites alone or with their mate. Regardless, going skyclad d uring ritual is in no way a sexual act, it is a deeply spiritual one for those w ho "choose" to do so. Is Witchcraft a religion? Yes, Witchcraft is a nature base d religion and it has been recognized as such in the United States and Canada. I n the U.S., Wicca has full recognition as a religion and is granted all rights a s such under the Constitution. The American Heritage Dictionary defines religion as "a belief in and reverence for a supernatural power recognized as the creato r and governor of the universe". So yes, it does qualify as such. Our definition differs slightly in that to us, the creator of the universe IS the universe. Wi tchcraft, or Wicca, is not something that can be followed once in a while or whe n it is convenient or we need or want something. It is a dedication made to natu re, the deities and yourself. It is a way of life, and as such we are mindful of the balance between ourselves and all things within the universe at all times. How do Witches view death? Many Witches believe in reincarnation and the Summerl and. After passing over, Summerland is where the spirit awaits to be returned in to a new physical form. We do not believe in an absolute Heaven or Hell where th e spirit spends eternity as reward or punishment for ones earthly actions. Questions about Witchcraft Page | 23

How can someone find out more about Witchcraft? Ours is not a missionary religio n, and we never try to make converts. We feel that if this path is right for you , you will find your way to it. We are, however, becoming more visual and vocal in an attempt to educate and dispel myths and superstitions about the Craft. You need not worry about a Witch knocking on your door and wanting to come in and s hare passages from their BOS. For those who are interested there are many excell ent books in our suggested reading list. Some Witches also teach classes or faci litate discussion groups. In this way, people may make contact with a like minde d Coven, form their own groups or share thoughts and beliefs with others. There is also a growing number of superb craft sites on the internet, periodicals, and national and regional festivals through which a seeker can make contact with th e larger Craft community. Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/wicca.htm Questions about Witchcraft Page | 24

Definitions of Wicca, Pagan & Witchcraft Wicca: A modern Pagan religion with spiritual roots in the earliest expressions of reverence for nature. Some major identifying motifs are: reverence for both t he Goddess and God; acceptance of reincarnation and magick; ritual observance of astronomical and agricultural phenomena; and the use of magickal circles for ri tual purposes. Wicce: Synonymous with Wicca. In some circles, Wicce is used for women and Wicca is used for men. Witch: A practitioner of folk magick, particula rly that kind relating to herbs, stones, colors, wells, rivers, etc. It is used by some Wiccans to describe themselves. This term has nothing to do with Satanis m. Witchcraft: The craft of the witch - magick, especially magick utilizing pers onal power in conjunction with the energies within stones, herbs, colors, and ot her natural objects. This belief system also has nothing to do with Satanism. Pa gan/Neo-Pagan/Paganism: General term for followers of Wicca and other magickal, shamanistic, and polytheistic Earth-based religions. Also used to refer to pre-C hristian religious and Spiritual belief systems. Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/definitions.htm Definitions of Wicca, Pagan & Witchcraft Page | 25

What Is Magick I suppose I could ramble on for quite some time about what Magick of Wicca, Witc hes and Witchcraft is or is not. Instead, I will offer this brief writing I foun d somewhere. Unfortunately I cannot remember where I came across it or who the a uthor was, but I thought it was clear, concise and to the point. It very simply dispels everything that some religions, old superstitions and of course Hollywoo d have tried to make people believe magick is. Magick is finding your connection to the Earth and all that is natural, alive and moving in the universe! It bind s all that exists together. Magick is living in balance with the flow of life, a nd knowing that you are a vital force within that flow. Magick is everywhere! In the trees, rain, stars, and in the sea. It is the spark that quickens a seed to rise up from the soil. Magick is laughter, joy, wonder and truth the of the wor ld around us! It is the subtle enchantment that reminds us not to waste a single moment of this gift that we call life! Magick is not greed, or power, or preten se...It is real. It exists. And it works. Magick is the mystery that lies in the secret soul of the world. It is the essence of creation. What we imagine, we ha ve the power to create! MAGICK IS WITHIN YOU... With it you can create your drea ms, heal your world, love your life and find the peace that lives in every human heart. Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/magick.htm What Is Magick Page | 26

How to Become a Wiccan or Witch Being a Wiccan or Witch is generally not something you are born as or just wake up one morning and decide to become. More often than not, you come across it by accident unless you were raised that way. Many find the philosophies of how Wicc a and Witchcraft view nature are the same as the one's they currently hold. They just didn't know there was a specific belief system that shared the same views. As Silver RavenWolf accurately stated in her book To Ride A Silver Broomstick. "The Charge comes to each of us in a different manner. It is that moment in our lives when we feel the Magick of the Universe for the very first time coursing t hrough us... and we know beyond all real and imagined shadows that this calling to the mysteries is indeed there. That it is truly there, and not a whimsical fl ight from reality." If you are one who has seen striking similarities between wh at you believe and have found here, there are generally accepted ways to increas e your awareness and find communion with others who feel the same. The following are the steps I would recommend to any one who wishes to learn more. Read every thing you can get your hands on that will tell you more about the beliefs of Wic ca and Witchcraft. Only by learning as much as you can about the basic beliefs a nd tenets of this path can you decide if the old way's are right for you. While doing this, you will begin to form associations and hopefully find correspondanc es within yourself. Note these feelings in a journal or diary. Write down the re asons you think Witchcraft is your path. What does being a Witch mean to you? Wh at do you hope to achieve and learn? What do you fear about following this path? How do you see the Goddess and God? What does the Divine mean to you? Be absolu tely honest with yourself here, this is a private book and nobody else will ever read it. This notebook will help you design your dedication/self-initiation rit ual and eventually evolve into your Book of Shadows. There are no right or wrong answers and it is not a test. It is only a way to help you define your understa nding of this path. How to Become a Wiccan or Witch Page | 27

Most importantly, listen to your inner voice. It is usually very good council an d will not lead you astray. If something you read, hear or are told does not fee l right, then it usually isn't right for you. If everything still feels right an d you are sure Witchcraft is the path for you wish to follow after all this stud ying, now is the time to perform a dedication ritual. This ritual should be your s and yours alone. Design it however you want to and in a way that will be most meaningful to you. A dedication ritual means exactly what it sounds like. You ar e dedicating yourself to the Craft and making the decision to live life in close r harmony and balance with the earth and nature. You are making a commitment to yourself and the Divine. Mine was on the shore of a remote high cascade mountain lake here in Oregon. The dancing light of the campfire on the trees, a full moo n reflecting off the snow pack fed waters of the lake all combined with the ener gy of surrounding nature. This setting was ideal for me but something completely different might be right for you. I haven't mentioned anything about spells bec ause you need to complete the first two steps before you even think about workin g with spells. Before you begin working with magick, you need to understand what it is, where it comes from and the ethics involved. You will also need to learn and understand the basic structure of rituals, Casting circles, calling quarter s, invoking the Goddess and God, raising and directing energy, grounding, center ing and closing the circle. Magick is raising and channeling the energy found in yourself, nature and in the Divine. A Witch combines this energy with their foc used efforts. It takes dedication, effort, energy and hard work to achieve a des ired result. The main ethical tenet to always remember is the point of the Witch es Rede: "An It Harm None." Magick is not Hollywood hocus-pocus. It is not bendi ng the natural order of things to fit your needs or desires. If that is what you are looking for, you are in the wrong place. Witches have had enough bad press over the past few centuries and are working hard to turn those misconceptions ar ound. We do not need people running around claiming to put spells and hexes on p eople because they cannot face reality, are not willing to work for what they wa nt or are looking for an easy solution to their problems. Magick doesn't work th at way... How to Become a Wiccan or Witch Page | 28

All your reading and study will help you prepare for this. The Suggested Reading Section of our on-line catalog offer some excellent resources to help you under stand these basic concepts. You will also find that meditation and visualization exercises will increase your concentration. The ability to focus and visualize will greatly increase the power of your magick. Breathing exercises will help yo u focus as well so spend time on them. If you are interested in joining a Coven, most will require the traditional year and a day of study before initiating new members. This gives you time to explore the religion and decide if it is the ri ght path for you as well as giving you and the Coven members time to get to know one another. Covens are generally very selective and rightfully so. There are m any out there who seek this path for all the wrong reasons. Written by: Herne Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/howto.htm How to Become a Wiccan or Witch Page | 29

Warnings & Cautions For The New Wiccan If you've looked at this site at all, you've seen the wonderful things that happ en when you begin following a Wiccan path. I've been asked to discuss the not-so -nice things that can happen. I'm not trying to scare anyone off, just give you enough information so you can make an informed decision. The Shadows are out the re They exist, in the invisible world that parallels our own, living creatures. Unlike creatures from our world, they lack physical form, and feed on energy ins tead of matter. They are as varied as the animal life on our world. They range i n size (power) from the equivalent of insects and rodents to the equivalent of m agically trained humans, and beyond to the Great Old Ones. (My land is inhabited by one of these-it gives the psychic impression of a mountain with legs. It is not unfriendly, but an elephant is not unfriendly toward ants either. I stay out of our woods when it is about.) I mentioned that these creatures feed on energy . Most are content to graze on the random energy fields that leak from humans an d other creatures in our world. Others, however, are a little more sinister. The se, the ones you have to worry about, I call the Shadows. Shadows come in three basic varieties. First are the little ones that feed off the energy in negative emotions. If you are emitting strong negativity, they will be drawn to you like flies to rotten meat. If you aren't magically protected, they will happily latch onto your energy field (aura) and snack on it. They are usually not much more t roublesome than leeches or mosquitoes; however, a thousand leeches could weaken a person severely. Next come the more dangerous variety, more like rats or vultu res than mosquitoes. These are attracted both by negative emotions and the energ y of magical workings. They are stronger, and can push past weak or flawed defen ses to get to you. And they are much harder to peel loose once they have their t eeth into you. Last are the intelligent variety. Their favorite meal is human li fe energy, the 'heart-fire' that burns in each of us. They are relatively rare e ven in their own realm, but they exist. The terms 'Imp' , 'Evil Spirit' and 'Dem on' are fairly accurate. They are very strong. The more intelligent ones are cap able of working their own Magic to breach your defenses. The most intelligent va riety , being as lazy as humans, prefer to talk you into dropping your defenses and linking your energy field to theirs. ("Open yourself to me, and I will grant you power beyond your wildest dreams." Yeah, right.) They also are capable (if someone is helpful enough to open a doorway for them) of Warnings & Cautions For The New Wiccan Page | 30

entering our world. Once here, if they can get past all your defenses unless you are very strong at warding. They can enter your body and feast at will, even as serting a degree of control over you. Yes, this is exactly like the old stories of Demon possession. You - yes, you can be a Vampire There exist in this world e vil creatures. They are highly intelligent, capable of working magic, and extrem ely devious. They are capable of not only psychic magical attacks, but physical ones as well. As a species, they tend to be amoral, murderous animals. I call th em 'humans'. Humans are also capable of 'feeding' off the energies of other huma ns- Herne (owner of this website) calls them "Psychic Vampires". They do this to gain more magical power, to control others, or to replace the energies they are losing by dealing with the Shadows. Some humans can even do this while travelin g astrally. So that Evil Spirit that tried to get into your last circle may not have been from the other side; it could have been your next-door neighbor. Oops! Did I just do that? Magic is an art form. Despite the best efforts of Ritual Ma gicians and Technopagans, it remains as unpredictable and powerful as the weathe r unless you are highly skilled and focused. Scientists studying weather predict ion in the 1970's discovered something amazing. Weather, they found, is so unsta ble as to be impossible to predict more than a day or two in advance. In fact, c omputer models suggested something they called the Butterfly Theory. It seems th at the air disturbed by a butterfly taking off from a cactus in Mexico, if it ha ppened at the right time and place, could in theory cause devastating storms and tornadoes in the U.S. Midwest. Magic is very similar. Each action we take, magi cal or mundane, has consequences that spread out from it like the ripples in a p ond. They spread out, touching everything- and reflect back to converge on the s ource. Be very sure, then, before you work magic, exactly what the consequences may be. Ask yourself, "If this spell backfires on me, and affects me instead of the intended target, can I live with the result?" Thus, I tend to use magic "onl y in direst need, and then must the cause be just" (author unknown). Some Wiccan s counsel about how rain on your fields could cause drought elsewhere. This migh t be true, if you are trying with your own personal power to 'squeeze' the rain clouds as they pass over. But asking the Lady and Lord for the blessing of rain for everybody's crops is a different thing entirely. Selfish magic has negative consequences: Loving, giving magic only positive ones. For Selfishness is the tr ue root of all evil. "I want it! Destroy the world, Warnings & Cautions For The New Wiccan Page | 31

let Chaos take the universe, as long as I get what I want!" Be careful of what y ou ask, you just may get it... Power corrupts So, you've studied hard, learned a ll about Wiccan magic, and now you find you can really do things. All the power of the Elements is yours to command. Love, money, power, respect- all these are yours. You are special. You are powerful. You are a God! Now, you must convince others to worship you, to lend you their energy so that your power can grow. But that's OK, because you are a loving God, and you want only what's best for your worshipers. And you know what's best for them, for you know all, and see all. F or you alone are God of this world you have created. Can't happen? Do the names Jim Jones, Sun Myung Moon or David Koresh ring a bell? It is important to rememb er that the gift of magical power is just that- a gift from the Lady and Lord. I t must never be abused. And glorifying yourself because of something lent to you is like showing up at your class reunion in a borrowed suit and a rented Jaguar . This reason and this reason alone is why you will not find the Council of this site posting or trading spells and rituals. We don't hand out loaded guns here. In my next article, I will try to teach the basics of magical defense- how to k eep the Shadows at bay, how to shield yourself from negative energy, and what to do if you suspect you are being attacked psychically. Until then, Merry Part. A nd don't link your life force to anything with glowing red eyes and a black aura . Written by: Erik & Herne Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/cautions.htm Warnings & Cautions For The New Wiccan Page | 32

Magickal Protection & Psychic Self-Defense Magic works. This is the first thing you have to learn. If you don't believe tha t magic gives you the power to reshape the universe, you're wasting your time. B ecause if you believe a spell or ritual won't work, it won't. Period. And if you do believe in the power of magic, then you need to realize that when you use it you are putting your hands on the same forces that move the tides and spawn tor nadoes. And that by doing so, you have the potential to harm yourself or others. I have often compared working magic to rock climbing. It takes years of study a nd practice before you're ready to try it. It is fairly safe, if you know what y ou're doing and take appropriate safety precautions. At the same time, a mistake can ruin your whole day or worse. In this article, I will outline a few basic t echniques for protecting yourself and your home. While these are essential while working magic, they are also useful anytime. For example, there's no better nig ht's sleep than in a room that's been magically shielded to keep out psychic noi se. Let's start with Shielding. This is a technique for creating a magical 'forc e field' around your person or a place, to keep out unwanted energy. This could be psychic 'background noise', nasty astral critters, or magical energy directed at you. Many people do this unconsciously all their lives. Others of us have to learn how. The method I use is to visualize a 'net' of energy around the area t o be shielded. Remember to 'see' it in 3D, a sphere rather than a circle. (This is where those visualization exercises come into practical use.) I generally use my personal energy to power it. I visualize negative energy being absorbed by m y shields and flowing into the earth. ("Ground and Center" here.) I visualize it as porous, though, so that energy I send can pass through. With practice, you w ill be able to shield yourself instantly, without thinking. I have found that ex haustion or alcohol quickly erode my ability to shield, so keep this in mind. On ce you have shields, there is lots of nifty magic you can do with them. I'll des cribe some of these in an article for an advanced class. Warding is a similar te chnique. I define a Ward as a Shield anchored to a physical place. Instead of us ing your energy, though, you let Earth energy flow upward to power it. With prac tice, you can create a stable, Earthpowered shield. This leaves more energy for spell work, or allows you to drop your own shields and recharge. Reinforce the v isualization regularly, and it can be permanent, to protect your Circle or home. I tend to anchor wards with physical objects-a stone, carved runes, etc. But it is the visualization that really matters. If the mental image fails, the shield will fail, Magickal Protection & Psychic Self-Defense Page | 33

no matter how many runes you carve. Occasionally, when going about my daily life , I will feel a 'tickle' at my aura as some kind of psychic energy contacts it. Other times, the hair stands up on the back of my neck, and I quickly raise my s hields. And on rarer occasions, I feel a sudden energy drain as my shields (than k the Lady and Lord) go from standby to maximum power before I know what's happe ned. In these situations there are a few shielding tricks I use. First is the mi rror. I visualize the outside of my shields as a perfect mirror, reflecting any energy back to it's source. Next is making the inside of my shields a mirror. I use this to contain any psychic energy I might be emitting, hopefully making mys elf psychically 'stealthy'. Last is the 'iron wall' or 'stone tower' visualizati on, changing the thin energy shield into a massive fortress. This requires a lot of power, but when huge waves of negativity are breaking over you, it really he lps. Now on to a few active techniques. If negative energy keeps coming at me, I don't sit back and continue to shield until exhausted. The ancient warriors kne w that any purely defensive battle is doomed, if it goes on long enough. Invokin g the Lady and Lord is probably the surest and simplest defense. Malevolent enti ties (wether astral or earthly) tend to avoid the presence of the Deity. In fact , the nastier they are, the faster they run. But like most kids, I don't like bo thering Mom and Dad all the time with small problems I've been taught to handle myself. The most basic technique is calling White Fire. This is the Light energy of the universe, the silver-white of the Moon and the firewhite of the Sun, the sum total of the magical Elements. Let it flow in from all around you until you feel like a ball of lightning, then send a directed bolt of it back in the dire ction the negative energy came from. While the mind alone is all you need to do this, I find my sword/athame is a perfect tool for this. (I feel the Rede does n ot prohibit self-defense, but that's another article, too.) If this doesn't work , you can still call on the Lady and Lord in their warrior/protector aspects to help you. Written by: Erik Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/defense.htm Magickal Protection & Psychic Self-Defense Page | 34

Divination & Scrying As this section grows, we will discuss the many different forms Witches use for Divination. If you are unfamiliar with the term, Divination is simply the use of an object or objects to ascertain answers to questions or to see an event or ev ents which are not perceptible to the average person. Divination takes many form s and while some of the Craft will use several different techniques, everyone wi ll end up with one favorite or more successful way of obtaining answers to their questions. Just about anything can be used as a divination tool and over the ce nturies just about everything has. Some of the more popular and well known metho ds are: Crystal and or Crystal Ball Gazing, Reading Tea Leaves, Gazing into a po ol or bowl of water, Tarot Cards, Feng Shui, Palmistry, Candle Gazing and the li st goes on and on. Witches and Pagans have always been credited with having spec ial powers, with being able to see the unseen. This is merely a result of our ab ility to work with our "Spirit Guides or "Spirit Twins" to obtain answers to the questions we seek. In the following sections, we will cover these methods and t he various tools employed to achieve these goals. As time permits, either myself or one of the Councilors discuss these areas. For now, one of our guests has pr ovided the technique that she has achieved good success with and would like to s hare it with you. Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/divination/intro.htm Divination & Scrying Page | 35

Elements & Magick The Ancients divided the world into four basic principles or *elements* earth, w ater, fire, and air. That viewpoint has mostly changed with advances of science, but the four elements are still accepted in magick, for they are more closely l inked with emotions, the human psyche, and with nature than are modern explanati ons of the world. These *magical elements* are also of some importance in astrol ogy. Many occultists think of the magical elements as forces, or as *qualities* of energy; especially within the astral world. Each element has a symbol and col or. (Common symbols are -- fire: a triangle pointing up; air: a triangle pointin g up and with a horizontal line through the middle of it; water: a triangle poin ting down; earth: a triangle pointing down and with a horizontal line through th e middle of it.) Colors of the elements are -- earth: brown and green; water: bl ue; fire: red; air: yellow... The Eastern tattvic system uses different symbols and colors. (The tattvic symbols are briefly described later on in this course.) The elements are often used in magick ritual. Magick sees relationships between things. These relationships are called 'correspondences'. Although magical corr espondences are not literally equal to one another, you can think of them that w ay (such as gold equals sun). Tables of these relationships, called 'Corresponde nce Tables', are available (an important one is Crowley's '777'). Thus one thing or symbol can be used to suggest another. This is important in magick, for the magician may surround himself with as many appropriate correspondences as he can to vividly affect the senses; thus making his magical contact with the inner pl anes more lucid. The magical elements have correspondences with the tarot cards as the four suits. The four quarters (directions of the universe as used in magi ck ritual) and the Archangels also correspond with these same elements. Element Earth Water Fire Air Suit Pentacles Cups Swords Wands Quarter North West South E ast Archangel Uriel Gabriel Michael Raphael Astrological signs also correspond with the elements. Taurus, Virgo, and Caprico rn are earth signs. Cancer, Scorpio, and Pisces are water signs. Aries, Leo and Sagittarius are fire signs. Gemini, Libra, and Aquarius are air signs. Elements & Magick Page | 36

ELEMENTALS The magical elements are said to be peopled by spirits and mythologic al entities called elementals or nature spirits. These are grouped into four mai n categories: Earth Gnome Dwarfs Elves Brownies Hobgoblins Leprechauns Water Und ine Nymphs Tritons Mermaids Mermen Sirens Harpies Salamander Fire Jin Genies Air Sylph Faries Angles Elementals are usually only visible to those with clairvoyant sight and are more likely to be seen at night in the mountains or country away from cities -especi ally if you are tired or sleepy. Although elementals exist naturally, it is also possible to create one which will exist for a limited time -- no elemental has immortality. A created elemental is called an 'artificial elemental'. To the Anc ients, elementals were the physical explanation of the universe. However, some c ontemporary occultists see them only as symbols for forces and otherwise not 're al' at all. Another word sometimes used for elemental is 'familiar' (usually in medieval witchcraft); the term is ambiguous, as it might merely be an ordinary h ousehold pet such as a dog or cat. YIN YANG Chinese philosophy and acupuncture t alk of yin yang. This is the idea of polarity, or opposite pairs, as shown: Yin Water Contraction Cold Feminine Moon Negative Passive Ebb Elements & Magick Yang Fire Expansion Hot Masculine Sun Positive Active Flow Page | 37

Wane Wax The list could go on. In Chinese literature it is quite long. Some occu ltists suggest everything can be similarly arranged into related opposite pairs. SIMPLE MAGICK Here is a simple magical technique you may wish to try. It is a v ariation of affirmation, which was discussed in an earlier lesson...To help you to achieve your goal (magical or otherwise), find a word or short phase which su ms up what it is that you want to accomplish. Write the word (or phrase) down 10 times each day until you achieve success. Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/elements/elements.htm The Concept Of Deity As mentioned in earlier documents, Wiccans, Pagans and Witches see the divine as being manifest at all levels of humanities limited ability to comprehend the un iverse world around us. The fact that some may call upon or associate with the d ivine by different names does not necessarily mean that we see a complete sepera tion of deities. We accept that different aspects of the divine combine to make the whole. In this view, we recognize and attune ourselves with nature and the c reative force in a way the individual or group is most comfortable with. The fol lowing is an explanation of this concept which most agree upon. The Supreme Crea tive Force The One is the all encompassing unity of all things which exist. This includes that which is manifest to our limited awareness and understanding as w ell as that which is not. The One is infinite to a point that the human mind sim ply cannot comprehend its vastness. Polarities of The One The Goddess and God ar e seen as a manifestation of the feminine and masculine forces of nature. Each h aving unique characteristics that when combined result in the harmonious creatio n of life. We see examples of this in everything around us as nothing can exist without the interaction of feminine and masculine energy. This creative energy i s omnipresent. They are concepts that allow the human mind to comprehed the crea tive force of the world around us. The Concept Of Deity Page | 38

Giving name to the divine or feminine and masculine energies is in many ways irr evalent and certainly cannot justify the wars and bloodshed history has seen bec ause of it. They are simply names humanity, a culture or specific belief system has created over time for association purposes. It really matters little whether we associate with the divine as the "Father, Son and Holy Ghost" or "The One, G oddess and God." Ultimately, the concept is the same. Written by: Herne Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/concepts.htm Witches Reed of Chivalry Insofar as the Craft of the Wise is the most ancient and most honorable creed of humankind, it behooves all who are Witches to act in ways that give respect to the Old Gods, to their sisters and brothers of the Craft, and to themselves. The refore, be it noted that: 1. Chivalry is a high code of honour which is of most ancient Celtic Pagan origin, and must be lived by all who follow the Old ways. 2 . It must be kenned that thoughts and intent put forth on this Middle-Earth will wax strong in other worlds beyond, and return... bringing into creation, on thi s world, that which had been sent forth. Thus one should exercise discipline, fo r "as ye sow, so shall ye reap." 3. It is only by preparing our minds to be as G ods that we can ultimately attain godhead. 4. "This above all...to thine own sel f be true...." 5. A Witch's word must have the validity of a signed and witnesse d oath. Thus, give thy word sparingly, but adhere to it like iron. 6. Refrain fr om speaking ill of others, for not all truths of the matter may be known. 7. Pas s not unverified words about another, for hearsay is, in large part, a thing of falsehoods. 8. Be thou honest with others, and have them known that honesty is l ikewise expected of them. Witches Reed of Chivalry Page | 39

9. The fury of the moment plays folly with the truth; to keep one's head is a vi rtue. 10. Contemplate always the consequences of thine acts upon others. Strive not to harm another. 11. Though there may be differences between those of the Ol d Ways, diverse covens and circles may well have diverse views. These views, eve n if they are different than yours, should always be given respect. When a coven , circle, clan, or grove is visited or joined, one should discern quietly their practices, and abide thereby. 12. Dignity, a gracious manner, and a good humour are much to be admired. 13. As a Witch, thou hast power, and thy powers wax stro ngly as wisdom increases. Therefore exercise discretion in the use thereof. 14. Courage and honour endure forever. Their echoes remain when the mountains have c rumbled to dust. 15. Pledge friendship and fealty to those who so warrant. Stren gthen others of the Brethren and they shall strengthen thee. 16. Thou shalt not reveal the secrets of another Witch or another Coven. Others have laboured long and hard for them, and cherish them as treasures. 17. Those who follow the myste ries should be above reproach in the eyes of the world, and should always seek t o make this so. 18. The laws of the land should be obeyed whenever possible and within reason, for in the main they have been chosen with wisdom for the well-be ing of all. 19. Have pride in thyself, and seek perfection in body and in mind. For the Lady hath said, "How canst thou honour another unless thou give honour t o thyself firstly?" 20. Those who seek the Mysteries should consider themselves as select of the Gods, for it is they who lead the race of humankind to the high est of thrones and beyond to the very stars. Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/chivalry.htm Witches Reed of Chivalry Page | 40

Before Time Was Before time was, there was The One; The One was all, and all was The One. And th e vast expanse known as the universe was The One, all wise, all pervading, all p owerful, eternally changing. And space moved. The One molded energy into twin fo rms, equal but opposite, fashioning the Goddess and God from The One and of The One. The Goddess and God stretched and gave thanks to The One, but darkness surr ounded them. They were alone, solitary save for The One. So they formed energy i nto gases and gases into suns and planets and moons; They sprinkled the universe with whirling globes and so all was given shape by the hands of the Goddess and God. Light arose and the sky was illuminated by a billion suns. The Goddess and God, satisfied by their works, rejoiced and loved, and were one. From their uni on sprang the seeds of all life, and the human race so that we might achieve inc arnation upon the Earth. The Goddess chose the Moon as her symbol, and the God t he Sun as his to remind the inhabitants of Earth of their creators. All are born , live, die and are reborn beneath the Moon and Sun; All things come to pass the reunder, and all occurs with the blessings of The One, the Goddess and God, as h as been the way of existence since before time was. Written by: Scott Cunningham Source: http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/before.ht m Before Time Was Page | 41

Goddess Goddess in Wicca is the Great Mother. She is the foundation of everything existe nce: she is Mother of all things. She is the Creator, but also the destroyer, sh e is double sided, which creates balance. She also represents the balance - the balance of nature and the balance between life and death. She is Earth Mother, M oon Goddess and Star Goddess at the same time, just like she is queen of the Ear th, Queen of Heaven and Queen of the Underworld. Her many faces we see in the ma ny goddesses. She is the virgin Artemis and Aphrodite seductress, she is Isis, t he woman over the power of words; She is Cerridwen, Fortryllersken by its boiler ; She is Hecate, Mistress of Magic and the Dark Moon. She has all the goddesses, and all goddesses are part of her. She is also the triple goddess, maiden, moth er and the Old Wife (Maiden, Mother, Crone). These concepts are derived from hum an experience, which is subject to time and death; Goddess is eternal: always ch anging and always self-renewing. She is so young and so old as she wants. As a V irgo, she is the Creator, Star Goddess, Queen of Heaven, gives the inspiration a nd the one who inaugurates. She is Artemis, the moon shape and the Wild Thing. S he is always virgin, and therefore no wife. Sunrise, spring, new moon, Venus as Morning Star and Evening Star and the start of a new growing season is her. She is enchanting, seductive, gentle, and thriving as she reigns over growth times. Her sacred colors, white and blue and the title "Queen of Heaven" was borrowed b y the Catholic church to the Virgin Mary and the Catholic Church had thus Statue live on through the Virgin Mary. In the year cycle and the goddess, she follows the Old Woman, after the winter, death and darkness. She represents hope, light , life and rebirth of spring, life back to nature, animal babies are born and gr owths appear. She is forever young part of us that takes delight in life's wonde rs and possibilities lengths. She is raw and untamed material that we can shape, and the young potential. In her aspect as mother protector of life, the woman o f growth and fertility, the bride and the Goddess of Sovereignty. She rules over the flocks and herds, the country's fertility across the field and love, and fu ll moon, summer, dinner is her. She is the queen of the earth, and through the s acred marriage with her that God has allowed to ascend the throne. Her sacred co lor is red or silver. Goddess Page | 42

In the year and goddess circuit, she follows the Virgin, after spring. She is th e lush nature through the summer and harvest. She brings food and shelter for he r children. As a wife she also protects married women, just as she watches over mothers and children. The Old Woman is the last aspect of the Goddess. She destr oyer, Woman of Lower, weakness and death, goddess of the night and the underworl d goddess. She tells us that everything that is born must also grow old, decay a nd die, so it can nurture new life. For life always gives birth to new life. She watches over caves and tombs, and she is born again Goddess. Wisdom is hers, an d she knows that patience brings all the answers. She knows the mysteries, and w aning moon, the dark night, shadows silence, midnight's crossroads, winter and w idow's wail her. She is the wise woman, who touched in his big black kettle, and she is the old woman who lives in the woods and can learn many secrets from him . The power of solitude and silence her, and she knows how to use it. In the yea r and goddess circuit follows her mother, as winter follows fall. She is growing dark, but she also represents peace in the darkness of night and death. It is t ime for learning, and one must also accept his dark part. She also reigns over o ur subconscious and dreams of empire, and she can help us to complete a cycle. H er sacred color is black. This is the description of the Goddess in outline. But to understand who she is and what she stands for, come all by itself, as one re ads more and more and even looking for her. There are some texts that I feel giv es a glimpse of her, too, and although I did not know where they originally come from, I would still share them here. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ Goddess Page | 43

The Charge Of The Goddess Whenever ye have need of anything, once in the month a nd better it be when the moon is full, then shall ye assemble in some secret pla ce, and adore the spirit of me, who am Queen of all witches. There shall ye asse mble, ye who are fain to learn all sorcery, yet have not won its deepest secrets ; to these will I teach all things that are as yet unknown. And ye shall be free from slavery; and as a sign that ye be truly free, you shall be naked in your r ites; and ye shall dance, sing, feast, make music and love, all in my praise. Fo r mine is the ecstasy of the spirit, and mine also is joy on earth; for my law i s love unto all beings. Keep pure your highest ideals; strive ever towards them, let nothing stop you or turn you aside. For mine is the secret door which opens upon the Land of Youth, and mine is the cup of the wine of life, and the Cauldr on of Cerridwen, which is the Holy Vessel of Immortality. I am the gracious Godd ess, who gives the gift of joy unto the heart of man. Upon earth, I give the kno wledge of the spirit eternal; and beyond death, I give peace, and freedom, and r eunion with those who have gone before. Nor do I demand sacrifice; for behold, I am the Mother of all living, and my love is poured out upon the Earth. Goddess Page | 44

I am the beauty of the green earth, and the white moon among the stars, and the mystery of the waters, and the desire of the heart of man. Call unto thy soul, a rise, and come unto me. For I am the soul of Nature, who gives life to the Unive rse. From me all things proceed, and unto me all things must return; and before my face, beloved of gods and of men, let thine innermost divine self be enfolded , in the rapture of the infinite. Let my worship be within the heart that rejoic est, for behold, all acts of love and pleasure are my rituals. Therefore, let th ere be beauty and strength, power and compassion, honor and humility, mirth and reverence within you. And thou who thinketh to seek for me, know thy seeking and yearning shall avail thee not, unless thou knoweth the mystery; that if that wh ich thou seekest thou findest not within thee, thou wilt never find it without t hee. For behold, I have been with thee from the beginning; and I am that which i s attained at the end of desire. Source: http://www.controverscial.com/The%20Charge%20of%20the%20Goddess.htm Goddess Page | 45

Song of the Goddess I am the Great Mother, worshipped by all creation and existe nt prior to their consciousness. I am the primal female force, boundless and ete rnal. I am the chaste Goddess of the Moon, the Lady of all magic. The winds and moving leaves sing my name. I wear the crescent Moon upon my brow and my feet re st among the starry heavens. I am mysteries yet unsolved, a path newly set upon. I am a field untouched by the plow. Rejoice in me and know the fullness of yout h. I am the blessed Mother, the gracious Lady of the harvest. I am clothed in th e deep, cool wonder of the Earth and the gold of the fields heavy with grain. By me the tides of the Earth are ruled; all things come to fruition according to m y season. I am refuge and healing. I am the life giving Mother, wondrously ferti le. I am the Crone, tender of the unbroken cycle of death and rebirth. I am the wheel, the shadow of the Moon. I rule the tides of the oceans and of women and m en. I give release and renewal to weary souls. I am the Goddess of the Moon, the Earth, the Seas. My names are many, yet know that by all names I am the same. I pour forth insight, peace, wisdom and understanding. I am the eternal Maiden, M other of all, and Crone of reckoning, and I send you blessings of limitless love . Source: http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/song.htm Goddess Page | 46

The Legend of the descent of the Goddess Now our Lady the Goddess had never love d, but She would solve all the Mysteries, even the Mystery of Death; and so She journeyed to the Underworld. The Guardians of the Portals challenged her: "Strip off thy garments, lay aside thy jewels; for naught mayest thou bring with the i nto this our land." So She laid down her garments and her jewels, and was bound, as are all who enter the Realms of Death, the Mighty One. Such was her beauty, that Death himself knelt and kissed her feet, saying: "Blessed be thy feet, that have brought thee in these ways. Abide with me; but let me place my cold hand o n thy heart." She replied: "I love thee not. Why dost thou cause all things that I love and take delight in to fade and die?" "Lady," replied Death, "tis age an d fate, against which I am helpless. Age causes all things to wither; but when m en die at the end of time, I give them rest and peace, and strength so that they may return. But thou! Thou art lovely. Return not; abide with me!" But She answ ered: "I love thee not." Then said Death: "An thou receivest not my hand on thy heart, thou must receive Death's scourge." "It is fate - better so," She said. A nd She knelt, and Death scourged her tenderly. And She cried, "I feel the pangs of love." And Death said, "Blessed Be!" and gave her the Fivefold Kiss, saying: "Thus only mayest thou attain to joy and knowledge." And he taught her all the M agicks. For there are three great events in the life of man: Love, Death, and Re surrection in the new body; and Magick controls them all. For to fulfill love yo u must return again at the same time and place as the loved one, and you must re member and love them again. But to be reborn you must die and be ready for a new body; and to die you must be born; and without love you may not be born; and th is is all the Magicks. Source: http://www.paganlibrary.com/stories/legend_of_descent_of_goddess.php Goddess Page | 47

The Charge of the Dark Goddess I have chosen to include this "dark" version beca use I want's to show her duality, which I consider very important. Wisdom and em powerment are the gifts of the Dark Goddess of Transformation. She is known to u s as Kali, Hecate, Cerridwen, Lilith, Persephone, Fata, Morgana, Ereshkigal, Ari anhrod, Durga, Inanna, Tiamat, and by a million, million other names: Hear me ch ild, and know Me for who I am. I have been with you since you were born, and I w ill stay with you until you return to Me at the final dusk. I am the passionate and seductive lover who inspires the poet to dream. I am the One who calls to yo u at the end of your journey. After the day is done, My children find their bles sed rest in my embrace. I am the womb from which all things are born. I am the s hadowy, still tomb; all things must come to Me and bare their breasts to die and be reborn to the Whole. I am the Sorceress that will not be ruled, the Weaver o f Time, the Teacher of Mysteries. I snip the threads that bring my children home to me. I slit the throats of the cruel and drink the blood of the heartless. Sw allow your fear and come to me, and you will discover true beauty, strength, and courage. I am the fury, which rips the flesh from injustice. I am the glowing f orge that transforms your inner demons into tools of power. Open yourself to my embrace and overcome. I am the glinting sword that protects you from harm. I am the crucible in which all the aspects of yourself merge together in a rainbow of union. I am the velvet depths of the night sky, the swirling mists of midnight, shrouded in mystery. I am the chrysalis in which you will face that which terri fies you and from which you will blossom forth, vibrant and renewed. Seek me at the crossroads, and you shall be transformed, for once you look upon my face, th ere is no return. I am the fire that kisses the shackles away. I am the cauldron in which all opposites grow to know each other in Truth. I am the web which con nects all things. I am the Healer of all wounds, the Warrior who rights all wron gs in their Time. I make the weak strong. I make the arrogant humble. I raise up the oppressed and empower the disenfranchised. I am Justice tempered with Mercy . Goddess Page | 48

Most importantly, child, I am you. I am part of you, and I am within you. Seek m e within and without, and you will be strong. Know me. Venture into the dark so that you may awaken to Balance, Illumination, and Wholeness. Take my Love with y ou everywhere and find the Power within to be who you wish. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ Charge of the Crone Hear the words of the Dark Goddess who stands within the cro ssroads, whose torch illuminates the Underworld: I am the Queen of Magic and the dark of the Moon, hidden in the deepest night. I am the mystery of the Otherwor ld and the fear that coils about your heart in the time of your trials. I am the soul of nature that gives form to the universe; it is I who await you at the en d of the spiral dance. Most ancient among gods and mortals, let my worship be wi thin the heart that has truly tasted life, for behold all acts of magic and art are my pleasure and my greatest ritual is love itself. Therefore let there be be auty in your strength, compassion in your wrath, power in your humility, and dis cipline balanced through mirth and reverence. You who seek to remove my veil and behold my true face, know that all your questioning and efforts are for nothing , and all your lust and desires shall avail you not at all. For unless you know my mystery, look wherever you will, it will elude you, for it is within you and nowhere else. For behold, I have ever been with you, from the very beginning, th e comforting hand that nurtured you in the dawn of life, and the loving embrace that awaits you at the end of each life, for I am that which is attained at the end of the dance, and I am the womb of new beginnings, as yet unimagined and unk nown. Source: http://web.akasha.no/bos/chcrone.html Goddess Page | 49

God Witches god is the ancient hunting and fertility, the Horned God. He is the lord of the forest, flocks, meadows and woods, of course. This way through, he is al so the lord of life and the giver of life. But just as the Goddess, he is double folded. For he is also the one who takes life, and thus master over death and re surrection. He is not only the hunter but the hunted. He is the hunted animal so ul, which filled the shaman. He is the sacrifice that must die, so the tribe can survive. But his sacrifice will not be poisoned, it is a gift from nature. But it's not just animals that must die for others to survive - including grain is b eing sacrificed at harvest. Thus, he also harvest god, the spirit of vegetation in the countryside and everything that grows in the wild. But death is not final . Just as the seed goes into the earth and reborn the following spring, he finds also the peace of the Great Mother, to be reborn to her. This is also seen in t he god's function as a sun god. At Yule fed him by the goddess, and through the winter and spring growing his strength. At Litha is his power at its peak, and h e has brought much to the fertility goddess and nature, but as autumn begins to approach, he loses his power. By Lugnasadh takes god's dark side over and the su n loses its strength. At Samhain draws the god of the underworld, where he waits to be reborn of the Goddess at the next Yule. Thus, he is also master of light and darkness, the darkness of night, darkness and dark shadows in the deep woods and in the underworld. The Horned God as the god of fertility is found in many other mythologies. Osiris is one example, and just as the Horned God described h ere, he was both god of fertility and the underworld god. The god Pan, with its goat hooves and human torso was also a horned god of the forest. And the Celtic "Cernunnos" simply means "the Horned". The Horned God is not "devil" from Christ ianity, even though the Christians made him this. His wild and free aspect, whic h is found in life-forces, human sexuality and ecstasy were the Christians regar ded as a sin, and he was therefore made to their symbol of evil. But I would str ongly emphasize that God is NOT this evil figure. He's like the Statue double-si ded, and he has both bright and dark sides. God Page | 50

Like the goddess, god has many faces and names. He is the wise Odin, lord of the underworld Hades - he is all gods, all gods are a part of him. They are his man y faces and many aspects. But first and foremost, he is the hunter and the hunte d; Forest Lord and God of the underworld. This is the description of God in outl ine. But to understand who he is and what he stands for, come all by itself, as one reads more and more and even looking for him. There are some texts that I fe el gives a glimpse of him too, and although I am not aware of where they origina lly come from, I would still share them here. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ God Page | 51

The Charge Of The God Listen to the Words of the Horned God, Who was of old call ed among men: Adonis, Tammuz, Dianus, Herne, Bran, Beli, Lugh, Gwyn, Dionysus, O siris, Cernunnos, Pan, And by many other Names. O Secret of Secrets, That art hi dden in the being of all that lives, Not Thee do we adore, For That which adoret h is also Thou. Thou art That, and That am I. I am the Flame that burns in the h eart of every being, And in the core of every Star. I am Life, and the Giver of Life, Yet therefore is the Knowledge of Me The Knowledge of Death and Resurrecti on. I am alone, the Lord within ourselves, Whose Name is Mystery of Mysteries. I am the Horned God. I am the Lord of the Universe, The Father of all living, The All-Devourer and the All-Begetter. I am He Whose Seed lies strewn As glittering Gems across velvet darkness Within the Womb of the Mother. I am the Lord of the Shadows In the darkness of the Underworld, For I am the Midnight Sun. I am the Light of the Stars, And the Spark of the Spirit Eternal, For I am the God Within . God Page | 52

I am the Horned Leader of the Hosts of Air, The Leader of the Wild Hunt, The Jud ge of Gods and of Men. I am the Hidden God, Who ever yet remains, For I dwell wi thin the secret seed. I am the seed of grain, I am the seed of flesh, I am the S eed of the Stars. I am the Lord of the Heights, I am the Lord of the Depths, God of forest, of flock, and of field. I am the Hunter and Hunted, I am the wolf an d the Shepherd, I am the vine and the grain. I am a Guiding Star above you, I am a bright Flame before you, I am a smooth Path beneath you. I am the Light of Li fe. I am the Flame of Love. I am the Horned God! Source: http://www.controverscial.com/The%20Charge%20of%20the%20God.htm God Page | 53

The Charge of the Sun God I am the Sun God At the height of my power The noon of my majesty No shadow I cast My light at full zenith Darkness is overcome Rejoic e in the light Born of the dark was I In the cold midnight Sun of that hunting G od Deep in the greenwood I come forth and put to flight the darkness Lord of Lif e, Lord of Light Golden One and King of Glory Rejoice in my orb Now in its splen dour My warmth has restored the earth to its life About me the planets revolve. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ God Page | 54

The Charge of the Dark God I have chosen to include this "dark" version because I want's to show his duality, which I consider very important. Listen to the wor ds of the Dark God, who was of old called Lakchos, Donn, Anubis, Hades, Setesh, Hoder, and by many other names: I am the shadow in the bright day, I am the remi nder of mortality at the height of living. I am the never ending veil of Night w here the Star Goddess dances. I am the Death that must be so that Life may conti nue, for behold, Life is immortal because the living must die. I am the strength that protects, that limits; I am the power that says No, and NO further, and Th at Is Enough. I am the things that cannot be spoken of, and I am the laughter at the edge of Death. Come with me into the warm enfolding dark; feel my caresses in the hands, in the mouth, in the body of one you love, and be transformed. Gat her in the moonless night and speak in unknown tongues; the Dark Mother and I wi ll listen. Sing to us and cry out, and the Power will be yours to wield. Blow me a kiss when the sky is dark, and I will smile, but no kiss return, for my kiss is the final one for all mortal flesh. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ God Page | 55

Charge of the Horned God By the flame that burneth bright, O'Horned One! We call thy name into the night, O'Horned One! Thee we invoke, by the moon-led sea, By the standing stone and the twisted tree. Thee we invoke where gather thine own, By the nameless shrine forgotten and lone. Come where the round of the dance is trod, Horn and hoof of the goatfoot God! By moonlit meadow, on dusky hill, When the haunted wood is hushed and still. Come to the charm of the chanted prayer, A s the moon bewitches the midnight air. Evoke thy powers, that potent bide In shi ning stream and the secret tide. In fiery flame by starlight pale, In shadowy ho st that rides the gale, And by the fern-brakes fairy-haunted Of forests wild and woods enchanted. Come! Come! To the heart-beats drum! Come to us who gather bel ow When the broad white moon is climbing slow Through the stars to the heaven's height We hear thy hoofs on the wind of night! As black tree-branches shake and sigh, By joy and terror we know thee nigh. We speak the spell thy power unlocks At Solstice, Sabbat and equinox Source: http://web.akasha.no/bos/chhorned.html God Page | 56

Witch Living Rules and laws "And harm it none, do as you will" - as simple as that. This is The Wiccan Rede the eight words, which constitutes the main guideline in wicca. There is not som e "10 Commandments" or other definite rules of wicca. If you follow the principl es of Wiccans that the Divine exists in nature and its creatures, this falls qui te naturally. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ 13 Goals of the Witch 1. Know Yourself: Take time to learn about yourself. Keep daily journals as well as sleep journals. Record your thoughts, experiences duri ng meditation, your goals and anything else you think that is important. Use you r dream journal to build a base line so that you can interpret your dreams becau se dreams are the way our shadow self talks to us. Endeavor to heal your shadow self. Use your daily journals to understand your thoughts and motivations. In ot her words, step back and examine yourself, your life, your goals and what you wa nt and who you really are. 2. Know Your Craft: Study and practice the Craft. Thr ough exploring the different aspects and theories of the Craft you will become m ore adept and begin to form your own theories and practices that work best for y ou. Take classes offered in your area such as tarot, meditation among other thin gs that interest you. Attend public rituals to gain insight into how others prac tice. Talk to other Wiccans and exchange ideas and experiences. 3. Learn: The le arning never ends when you are a witch. Read and study everything that you can a nd never dismiss any knowledge out of hand. You never know where a revelation ma y be hiding. 4. Apply Knowledge With Wisdom: Use the wisdom you have gained to t emper your actions. Wisdom is a gift given to the wise and the wise use their wi sdom to make the best decisions available. To apply knowledge without wisdom is reckless and can be dangerous in certain situations. The truly wise never claim to know everything or claim the status as an authority or guru, because no one k nows everything. Do not abuse the knowledge you have acquired. Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 57

5. Achieve Balance: Wicca is a religion of balance. We embrace the light and dar k, the God and Goddess; neither is more important than the other. Both have a pu rpose. We are to achieve balance in our lives. Such as balance in the self, home , personal relationships, what we take from the earth and what we give back and so on. A balanced life is a good life. 6. Keep Your Thoughts in Good Order: This goal goes hand and hand with goal 7. As a witch your thoughts manifest reality in accordance with your will. Once you have reached a level of magical developme nt you can set events in motion without even realizing it. A disciplined mine re duces that occurrences and aids in magical works. Your thoughts manifest before words are even formed. 7. Keep Your Words in Good Order: As thoughts manifest re ality in conformity to your will, so do words. Words are the verbalization of yo ur thoughts and therefore carry power. To not mind your words is the same as spr eading chaos magically. Discipline in minding your words adds meaning to what yo u speak and enhances their effectiveness in magical workings as well as the mund ane world. 8. Celebrate Life: This one is somewhat self explanatory. Life your l ife to the fullest and make every day a celebration of life. Life is a gift from the God and Goddess and they wish us to have a good time while here. Essentiall y, don t be afraid to enjoy your life. 9. Attune With the Cycles of the Earth: This is one of the basic concepts of Wicca. Our holidays, Sabbats, are based upon the Wheel of the Year, with the Wheel of the Year being based on the cycles of the Earth. We are to experience nature and understand that we are part of it and it is part of us and how it affects us. It is another mystery of Wicca that one has to experience to truly understand. 10. Breathe and Eat Correctly: This one is s elf explanatory as well. We are to eat the proper foods and practice our breathi ng. It doesn t mean we can t enjoy the food we eat or occasionally indulge. What it mean s is that we should eat a proper diet because it will help to make our bodies he althy. A healthy body not only makes us feel better and live longer, it aids us in our magical works and makes the mundane tasks easier.Learning to breath corre ctly aids in the raising of energy, focus, stress relief and meditation. Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 58

11. Exercise the Body: This is a difficult goal for many people but it is an imp ortant one. Our bodies are wondrous things that the God and Goddess have blessed us with. We should respect the bodies we have been given and keep them in shape . A healthy body feels better both physically and emotionally. We also live long er and are less encumbered during mundane activities and magical ones as well. T o exercise the body is to honor the God and Goddess. 12. Meditate: Meditation is a key skill in the working of magic. It allows us to focus our thoughts thereby focusing our will. It also helps us in our mundane life as well. It reduces str ess and helps us get through our mundane tasks by being able to focus and think clearly. 13. Honor the Goddess and the God: We should honor the God and Goddess in everything we do. They are a part of us as we are a part of them. We are all connected. By honoring them we honor ourselves and our fellow humans. We also ho nor our gods through rituals and celebrations. We do this because we love them a nd we desire to not because we fear them. Source: http://www.thewiccanway.org/13goals.html The Law of Return The Law of Return, The Rule of Three or The Threefold Law. Is a Rule that say what you send out good or bad will get back to you three times. That means if you send evil away then it comes three times as hard back. And if you send good out then good will come back three times. Written by: Jim HD 17/07/2011 1. Everything is connected to everything else 2. Everything must go somewhere 3. Nature knows best 4. There is no such thing as a free lunch Source: http://wicca.cnbeyer.com/three.shtml Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 59

The Law Of Power The Power shall not be used to bring harm, to injure or control others. But if the need rises, the Power shall be used to protect your life or the lives of others. The Power is used only as need dictates. The Power can be u sed for your own gain, as long as by doing so you harm none. It is unwise to acc ept money for use of the Power, for it quickly controls its taker. Be not as tho se of other religions. Use not the Power for prideful gain, for such cheapens th e mysteries of Wicca and magick. Ever remember that the Power is the sacred gift of the Goddess and God, and should never be misused or abused. And this is the law of the Power. Written by: Scott Cunningham Source: http://www.silverhoofs.com/laws.htm The Law We are of the Old Ways, among those who walk with the Goddess and God an d receive Their love. Keep the Sabbats and Esbats to the best of your abilities, for to do otherwise is to lessen your connection with the Goddess and God. Harm none. This, the oldest law, is not open to interpretation or change. Shed not b lood in ritual; the Goddess and God need not blood to be duly worshipped. Those of our ways are kind to all creatures, for hurtful thoughts are quite draining a nd aren't worth the loss of energy. Misery is selfcreated; so, too, is joy, so c reate joy and disdain misery and unhappiness. And this is within your power. So harm not. Teach only what you know, to the best of your ability, to those studen ts who you choose, but teach not to those who would use your instructions for de struction or control. Also, teach not to boost pride, forever remember: She who teaches out of love shall be enfolded in the arms of the Goddess and God. Ever r emember that if you would be of our way, keep the law close to your heart, for i t is the nature of the Wicca to keep the Law. If ever the need arises, any law m ay be changed or discarded, and new laws written to replace them, so long as the new laws don't break the oldest law of all: Harm None. Blessings of the Goddess and God on us all. Written by: Scott Cunningham Source: http://www.silverhoofs.com/laws.htm Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 60

The Sacred Wood The Sacred Wood found in all types of natural religions. Doctrin e, which comes from the Holy Wood, contain certain basic ethical principles that all people can live with in their everyday lives, if they want to find happines s and wisdom. These principles are the guiding stars twinkling of experience, al l of nature people have and still practice everywhere. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ Give Thanks Every morning when you wake up and every night before falling asleep , you have to give thanks to Creator/Goddess, also in the day giving you the opp ortunity to develop yourself. Think about the things you did and the thoughts yo u had today and pray that you may be able to make them better, it benefits every one and not just you. Give thanks for life in you and the opportunities availabl e in the light in front of you. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ Show Respect To show respect is a basic law in life, always treat others with resp ect. Live by the laws which are valid for the country you live in. No man is under y ou, and you should not humiliate others. No man is above you, and you must there fore do not accept to be humiliated. Never talk about others in a negative way, wh ether they are there or not. Show deep respect for others' beliefs and religion. Do not touch anything belonging to others (especially sacred objects) without permi ssion. Respect others' privacy and does not break into other people's quiet moment s or personal circle. Never interrupt others' conversation. Treat the Earth and ever ything that belongs to her with the same respect that you give yourself and prot ect her, if others want to destroy her. Listen politely to others speak, even if y ou feel that what they say is worthless. Always listen to your heart. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 61

Find balance The balance between what is good and evil is and has always been a very difficult thing, but if you listen to mother nature and see the balance tha t exists between all leving thinks, what place it has gotten in life, then it's easier to keep your balance. Once you have learned to look carefully, is the sid e where you are in the light and it makes it alot easier way to go. Listen to the advice you get from your heart and feel its way. Find the balance between good and evil, and go toward the light. Expect to find guidance in many ways, in dreams, i n quiet moments of meditation and through the wise older people and true friends ' words and deeds. Shop evil against another person acting hurts from all people, including yourself, and do something good about someone do something good for ev eryone, including yourself. All nations and tribes in the universe is as different colored flowers on a meadow, all are beautiful and as children of the Creator t hey must all be respected, you, you have found the right path to light. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 62

The 161 Laws 1. The Law was made and ordained of old. 2. The Law was made for th e Wicca, to advise and help in their troubles. 3. The Wicca should give due wors hip to the gods and obey their will, which they ordain, for it was made for the good of Wicca as the worship of the Wicca is good for the gods. For the gods lov e the brethren of Wicca. 4. As a man loveth a woman by mastering her, 5. So shou ld the Wicca love the gods by being mastered by them. 6. And it is necessary tha t the Circle which is the temple of the gods, should be truly cast and purified. And that it may be a fit place for the gods to enter. 7. And the Wicca shall be properly prepared and purified to enter into the presence of the gods. 8. With love and worship in their hearts, they shall raise power from their bodies to gi ve power to the gods. 9. As has been taught of old. 10.For in this way only may men have communion with the gods, for the gods cannot help man without the help of man. HPS & HP 11.And the High Priestess shall rule her coven as the represent ative of the Goddess. 12.And the High Priest shall support her as the representa tive of the God. 13.And the High Priestess shall choose whom she will, be he of sufficient rank, to be her High Priest. 14.For, as the God Himself kissed Her fe et in the five-fold salute, laying His power at the feet of the Goddess because of Her youth and beauty, Her sweetness and kindness, Her wisdom and justice, Her humility and generosity, 15.So He resigned all His power to Her. 16.But the Hig h Priestess should ever mind that the power comes from Him. 17.It is only lent, to be used wisely and justly. 18.And the greatest virtue of a High Priestess be that she recognize that youth is necessary to the representative of the Goddess. 19.So she will gracefully retire in favour of a younger woman should the Coven so decide in council. 20.For a true High Priestess realizes that gracefully surr endering pride of place is one of the greatest virtues. 21.And that thereby she will return to that pride of place in another life, with greater power and beaut y. Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 63

SECURITY 22.In the old days, when witchdom extended far, we were free and worshi pped in all the greater temples. 23.But in these unhappy times we must celebrate our sacred mysteries in secret. 24.So be it ordained that none but the Wicca ma y see our mysteries, for our enemies are many and torture loosens the tongue of man. 25.So be it ordained that no Coven shall know where the next Coven bide. 26 .Or who its members be, save only the Priest and Priestess and messenger. 27.And there shall be no communication between them, save by the messenger of the gods , or the summoner. 28.And only if it be safe may the Covens meet in some safe pl ace for the great festivals. 29.And while there, none shall say whence they came nor give their true names. 30.To this end, that if any be tortured, in their ag ony, they may not tell if they do not know. 31.So be it ordained that no one sha ll tell anyone not of the craft who be of the Wicca, nor give any names or where they bide, or in any way tell anything which can betray any of us to our foes. 32.Nor may he tell where the Covendom be. 33.Or the Covenstead. 34.Or where the meetings be. 35.And if any break these Laws, even under torture, THE CURSE OF TH E GODDESS SHALL BE UPON THEM, so they may never be reborn on earth and may remai n where they belong, in the hell of the Christians. DISPUTES 36.Let each High Pr iestess govern her Coven with justice and love, with the help and advice of the High Priest and the Elders, always heeding the advice of the Messenger of the Go ds if he cometh. 37.She will heed all complaints of all Brothers and strive to s ettle all differences among them. 38.But it must be recognized that there will a lways be people who will ever strive to force others to do as they will. 39.Thes e are not necessarily evil. 40.And they oft have good ideas and such ideas shoul d be talked over in council. 41.But if they will not agree with their Brothers, or if they say, 42."I will not work under this High Priestess," Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 64

43.It hath ever been the Old Law to be convenient to the Brethren and to avoid d isputes. NEW COVENS 44.Any of the third may claim to found a new Coven because t hey live over a league away from the Covenstead or are about to do so. 45.Anyone living within the Covendom and wishing to form a new Coven, shall tell the Elde rs of their intention, and on the instant avoid their dwelling and remove to the new Covendom. 46.Members of the old Coven may join the new one when it is forme d. But if they do, they must utterly avoid the old Coven. 47.The Elders of the n ew and old Covens should meet in peace and brotherly love to decide the new boun daries. 48.Those of the craft who dwell outside both Covendoms may join either b ut not both. 49.Though all may, if the Elders agree, meet for the great festival s if it be truly in peace and brotherly love, 50.But splitting the Coven often m eans strife, so for this reason these Laws were made of old and may the CURSE OF THE GODDESS BE ON ANY WHO DISREGARD THEM. So be it ordained. GRIMOIRE 51.If you would keep a book, let it be in your own hand of write. Let brothers and sister s copy what they will, but never let the book out of your hands, and never keep the writings of another. 52.For if it be found in their hand of write, they may be taken and arraigned. 53.Let each guard his own writings and destroy them when ever danger threatens. 54.Learn as much as you may by heart and, when danger is past, rewrite your book, an it be safe. 55.For this reason, if any die, destroy their book an they have not been able to. 56.For, an it be found, 'tis clear pro of against them. 57.And our oppressors know well "Ye may not be a witch alone". 58.So all their kin and friends be in danger of torture, 59.So destroy everythin g not necessary. 60.If your book be found on you, 'tis clear proof against you a lone, you may be arraigned. Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 65

PERSECUTION 61.Keep all thoughts of the craft from your mind. 62.If the torture be too great to bear, say "I will confess. I cannot bear this torture. What do y ou want me to say?" 63.If they try to make you speak of the Brotherhood, do not. 64.But if they try to make you speak of impossibilities such as flying through the air, consorting with a Christian devil or sacrificing children, or eating me n's flesh, 65.To obtain relief from torture say "I had an evil dream, I was besi de myself, I was crazed." 66.Not all magistrates are bad, if there be an excuse, they may show mercy. 67.If you have confessed aught, deny it afterwards, say yo u babbled under torture, say you knew not what you said. 68.If you are condemned , fear not. 69.The Brotherhood is powerful and will help you to escape if you st and steadfast, but if you betray aught there is no hope for you in this life or in that to come. 70.Be sure, if steadfast you go to the pyre, drugs will reach y ou, you will feel naught. You go to death and what lies beyond, the ecstasy of t he goddess. TOOLS 71.To avoid discovery, let the working tools be as ordinary th ings that any may have in their houses. 72.Let the pentacles be of wax so that t hey may be broken at once or melted. 73.Have no sword unless your rank allows it . 74.Have no names or signs on anything. 75.Write the names and signs on them in ink before consecrating them and wash it off immediately afterwards. 76.Let the colours of the hilts tell which is which. 77.Do not engrave them lest they caus e discovery. CONDUCT 78.Ever remember ye are the hidden children of the Goddess so never do anything to disgrace them or Her. 79.Never boast, never threaten, ne ver say you would wish ill of anyone. 80.If any person not in the Circle, speak of the craft, say, "Speak not to me of such, it frightens me, 'tis evil luck to speak of it." 81.For this reason, the Christians have their spies everywhere. Th ese speak as if they were well affected to us, as if they would come to our meet ings, saying, "My mother used to worship the Old Ones. I would I could go myself ." Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 66

82.To such as these, ever deny all knowledge. 83.But to others, ever say, "'Tis foolish men talk of witches flying through the air. To do so they must be as lig ht as thistledown. And men say that witches all be blear-eyed old crones, so wha t pleasure can there be at a witch meeting such as folks talk on ?" 84.And say, "Many wise men now say there be no such creatures." 85.Ever make it jest) and in some future time perhaps, the persecution may die and we may worship our gods i n safety again. 86.Let us all pray for that happy day. 87.May the blessings of t he Goddess and God be on all who keep these Laws which are ordained. VALUABLES 8 8.If the craft hath any appanage, let all guard it and help to keep it clear and good for the craft. 89.And let all justly guard all monies of the craft. 90.And if any Brother truly wrought it, 'tis right they have their pay, an it be just. An this be not taking money for the art, but for good and honest work. 91.And e ven the Christians say, "The labourer is worthy of his hire," but if any Brother work willingly for the good of the craft without pay, 'tis but to their greater honour. So be it ordained. QUARRELS 92. If there be any dispute or quarrel amon g the Brethren, the High Priestess shall straightly convene the Elders and inqui re into the matter, and they shall hear both sides, first alone and then togethe r. 93. And they shall decide justly, not favouring one side or the other. 94. Ev er recognising there be people who can never agree to work under others. 95. But at the same time, there be some people who cannot rule justly. 96. To those who must ever be chief, there is one answer. 97. "'Void the Coven or seek another o ne, or make a Coven of your own, taking with you those who will go." 98. To thos e who cannot rule justly, the answer be, "Those who cannot bear your rule will l eave you." 99. For none may come to meetings with those with whom they are at va riance. 100. So, an either cannot agree, get hence, for the craft must ever surv ive. So be it ordained. Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 67

CURSES 101.In the olden days when we had power, we could use the art against any who ill-treated the Brotherhood. But in these evil days we must not do so. For our enemies have devised a burning pit of everlasting fire into which they say t heir god casteth all the people who worship him, except it be the very few who a re released by their priest's spells and masses. And this be chiefly by giving m onies and rich gifts to receive his favour for their great god is ever in need o f money. 102.But as our gods need our aid to make fertility for man and crops, s o is the god of the Christians ever in need of man's help to search out and dest roy us. Their priests ever tell them that any who get our help are damned to thi s hell forever, so men be mad with the terror of it. 103.But they make men belie ve that they may escape this hell if they give victims to the tormentors. So for this reason all be forever spying, thinking, "An I can catch but one of these W icca, I will escape from this fiery pit." 104.So for this reason we have our hid els, and men searching long and not finding, say, "There be none, or if there be , they be in a far country." 105.But when one of our oppressors die, or even be sick, ever is the cry, "This be witches' malice", and the hunt is up again. And though they slay ten of their own to one of ours, still they care not. They have countless thousands. 106.While we are few indeed. So be it ordained. 107.That n one shall use the art in any way to do ill to any. 108.However much they may inj ure us, harm none. And nowtimes many believe we exist not. 109.That this Law sha ll ever continue to help us in our plight, no one, however great an injury or in justice they receive, may use the art in any way to do ill, or harm any. But the y may, after great consultations with all, use the art to restrain Christians fr om harming us Brothers, but only to constrain them and never to punish. 110.To t his end men will say, "Such a one is a mighty searcher out, and a persecutor of old women whom they deemeth to be witches, and none hath done him harm, so it be proof that they cannot or more truly there be none." 111.For all know full well that so many folk have died because someone had a grudge against them, or were persecuted because they had money or goods to sieze, or because they had none to bribe the searchers. And many have died because they were scolding old women. S o much that men now say that only old women are witches. 112.And this be to our advantage and turns suspicion away from us. 113.In England and Scotland 'tis now many a year since a witch hath died the death. But any misuse of the power migh t raise the persecution again. Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 68

114.So never break this Law, however much you are tempted, and never consent to its being broken in the least. 115.If you know it is being broken, you must work strongly against it. 116.And any High Priestess or High Priest who consents to its breach must immediately be deposed for 'tis the blood of the Brethren they e ndanger. 117.Do good, an it be safe, and only if it be safe. 118.And keep strict ly to the Old Law. PAYMENT 119.Never accept money for the use of the art, for mo ney ever smeareth the taker. 'Tis sorcerors and conjurers and the priests of the Christians who ever accept money for the use of their arts. And they sell pardo ns to let men escape from their sins. 120.Be not as these. If you accept no mone y, you will be free from temptation to use the art for evil causes. 121.All may use the art for their own advantage or for the advantage of the craft only if yo u are sure you harm none. 122. But ever let the Coven debate this at length. Onl y if all are satisfied that none may be harmed, may the art be used. 123. If it is not possible to achieve your ends one way, perchance the aim may be achieved by acting in a different way so as to harm none. MAY THE CURSE OF THE GODDESS BE ON ANY WHO BREAKETH THIS LAW. So be it ordained. 124.'Tis judged lawful if ever any of the craft need a house or land and none will sell, to incline the owner' s mind so as to be willing to sell, provided it harmeth him not in any way and t he full price is paid without haggling. 125.Never bargain or cheapen anything wh ilst you buy by the art. So be it ordained. LAW OF THE LAND 126. "Tis the Old La w and the most important of all laws, that no one may do anything which will end anger any of the craft, or bring them into contact with the law of the land or a ny persecutors. 127. In any dispute between Brethren, no one may invoke any laws but those of the craft. 128. Or any tribunal but that of the Priestess, Priest and Elders. Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 69

DISCUSSION OF WITCHCRAFT 129.It is not forbidden to say as Christians do, "There be witchcraft in the land," because our oppressors of old make it a heresy not to believe in witchcraft and so a crime to deny it which thereby puts you under suspicion. 130.But ever say, "I know not of it here, perchance there may be but afar off, I know not where." 131.But ever speak of them as old crones, consortin g with the devil and riding through the air. 132.And ever say, "But how may many ride the air if they be not as light as thistledown." 133.But the curse of the Goddess be on any who cast suspicion on any of the Brotherhood. 134.Or who speak of any real meeting-place or where they bide. WORTCUNNING 135.Let the craft kee p books with the names of all herbs which are good, and all cures so all may lea rn. 136.But keep another book with all the Bales and Apies and let only the Elde rs and other trustworthy people have this knowledge. So be it ordained. 137.And may the blessings of the gods be on all who keep these Laws, and the curses of b oth the God and the Goddess be on all who break them. USE OF THE ART 138.Remembe r the art is the secret of the gods and may only be used in earnest and never fo r show or vainglory. 139.Magicians and Christians may taunt us saying, "You have no power, show us your power. Do magic before our eyes, then only will we belie ve," seeking to cause us to betray the art before them. 140.Heed them not, for t he art is holy and may only be used in need, and the curse of the gods be on any who break this Law. RESIGNATIONS 141.It ever be the way with women and with men also, that they ever seek new love. 142.Nor should we reprove them for this. 14 3.But it may be found a disadvantage to the craft. 144.And so many a time it has happened that a High Priest or a High Priestess, impelled by love, hath departe d with their love. That is, they left the Coven. Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 70

145.Now if the High Priestess wishes to resign, she may do so in full Coven. 146 .And this resignation is valid. 147.But if they should run off without resigning , who may know if they may not return in a few months? 148.So the Law is, if a H igh Priestess leaves her Coven, she be taken back and all be as before. 149.Mean while, if she has a deputy, that deputy shall act as High Priestess for as long as the High Priestess is away. 50.If she returns not at the end of a year and a day, then shall the Coven elect a new High Priestess, 151.Unless there is a good reason to the contrary. 152.The person who has done the work should reap the be nefit of the reward. If somebody else is elected, the deputy is made maiden and deputy of the High Priestess. TRAINING 153.It has been found that practicing the art doth cause a fondness between aspirant and tutor, and it is the cause of be tter results if this be so. 154.And if for any reason this be undesireable, it c an easily be avoided by both persons from the outset firmly resolving in their m inds to be as brother and sister or parent and child. 155.And it is for this rea son that a man may be taught only by a woman and a woman by a man, and women and women should not attempt these practices together. So be it ordained. PUNISHMEN T 156.Order and discipline must be kept. 157.A High Priestess or a High Priest m ay, and should, punish all faults. 158.To this end all the craft must receive co rrection willingly. 159.All properly prepared, the culprit kneeling should be to ld his fault and his sentence pronounced. 160.Punishment should be followed by s omething amusing. 161.The culprit must acknowledge the justice of the punishment by kissing the hand on receiving sentence and again thanking for punishment rec eived. So be it ordained. Source: http://web.akasha.no/bos/161.html Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 71

The Proposed Laws 1. No member of the Craft will initiate any person unless that person has been interviewed by at least two Elders and accepted as suitable. 2. No affairs of the Craft will be discussed by members in the presence of uniniti ated persons, or in places where conversation is likely to be overheard. 3. No c opies of any papers relating to the Craft will be made or retained without the E lders' permission. Such papers as are permissible will be kept in a secure place . 4. As it is essential for the successful working of ritual by a group that the re should be unity of purpose and an harmonious psychic atmosphere, members who create dissension and discord within the Craft will be asked to resign. Should t hey fail or refuse to do so they will be informed in writing by the Elders that they have been expelled. 5. No member of the Craft will give any information or interview about the Craft to any journalist or writer, or cause any such informa tion to be published in any way, without the approval of the Elders, nor will an y of the Elders do so without the approval of the rest of the Elders. 6. If any member of the Craft feels that he or she has reason to complain of the conduct o f any other member in matters affecting the Craft, or of any misdemeanour toward s any member whilst on Craft premises, he or she will bring the said complaint t o the notice of the Elders as soon as possible. The Elders, after considering al l available evidence, will, if they find the complaint justified, take appropria te action. 7. No member will be present at any meeting where the working is that of a higher Grade than he or she has attained, except by invitation of the Elde rs. These invitations will only be extended on very rare occasions where special circumstances exist. 8. No member will disclose the name and address or telepho ne number of any other member to any person whatsoever without the said other me mber's previous permission. Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 72

9. Members will meet upon the traditional occasions, or as near to them as possi ble, and such meetings will be arranged by the Elders, or such officers as the E lders authorise to do so. If the Elders be not present at such meetings, they wi ll receive a report of them. Members may arrange other meetings for their privat e working if they so desire, but if more than two members be present at such a m eeting, the Elders will receive a report of it. This report will take the form o f a short letter to the Elders giving place and date of the meeting, names of me mbers attending, and details of ceremonies carried out. Where convenient, verbal reports will be accepted. 10. Members will endeavour to acquaint themselves wit h the traditions of the Craft, and will not introduce innovations into the worki ng without the Elders' approval. Nor will the Elders give approval to any import ant innovation without first asking the approval of the rest of the Craft. 11. I n the event of any member resigning from the Craft, he or she will honourably ob serve the Oath of Secrecy taken at initiation, and will also return to the Elder s any written matter relating to the Craft which may be in his or her possession . 12. All members will receive a copy of these rules, and all new members will b e given a copy of these rules upon initiation. New members, prior to initiation, will read these rules and declare upon their honour that they will abide by the m in letter and in spirit. This declaration will be made to the Elders in writin g, and signed. 13. It will be understood by all members that these rules are equ ally binding upon all Grades of the Craft, including the Elders, and that seriou s and/or persistent breach of these rules will be grounds for expulsion. Source: http://web.akasha.no/bos/proposed.html Witch Living Rules and laws Page | 73

Time of Magic When you perform magic, consideration is much why and how, but it is not often t hat time is involved. But time also come into play. Some days just better suited to a type of magic, though of course you need not consider the month, day, date , moon phase, etc. every time you perform magic. But if one wants to give his ma gic a little extra strength, it might be a good idea to consider when. Weekdays The seven days of the week, each associated with a planet in our solar system, a nd each day has its strength lying at specific energies. Sunday: The name comes from the Nordic sunnudagr or "sunny days" and Sunday is therefore associated wit h the sun, the sun gods and the sun and golden yellows. Solar energy brings life , which also affects the Sunday, just as it is good time to promote health and p rosperity. Monday: This is the lunar day. The day is associated with body and he alth and our psychological properties. More traditional goddess images associate d with the moon (Selene, Diana, Aradia, Hecate, etc.). Monday is a day of healin g and psychic development. Appropriate colors for the moon is white and pearl-li ke purple (which shone in beads or a few white moonstone). Tuesday: This day is associated with our Nordic god of war Tyr - Tyr's day it is. In Roman mythology, this corresponds to the war god Mars. Often referred to Mars as the red planet, making it also suitable colors in the magical effect. Red is a color associated with the mind, fire, energy and physical strength. Working with Mars can be exc ellent if you need to enhance their lives or themselves, but it is important to be careful and remember that this energy also has an ever-aspect in itself. Wedn esday: This is Odin's day. Odin ruled over mind (wisdom), communication (with it s animals, which flew out into the world) and knowledge. It is especially good f or Wednesday include divination and magic that has communication and knowledge t o do. His Roman counterpart is Mercury, the messenger with the magic sandals and helmet as he let fly through the air in an enormous speed - only mind can. The colors associated with Mercury are strong and clear, energizing and used to stim ulate the mind rather than emotions. Examples are yellow or orange. Time of Magic Page | 74

Thursday: The Norse god Thor day. It is also associated with the Roman god Jupit er. His color is blue, since this reflects the sky, who would like considered to be blue. Jupiter was king of the gods and represents the royal authority as wel l as love of country and people. Another word for Jupiter is "Jove". The word "J ovial" (meaning: "As belongs to the plant Jupiter "," lively "," cheerful ") com es from this and the meaning of this word can give a good picture of what kind o f thoughts that are associated with Jupiter. Friday: The day incorporates the na me of the goddesses Frigg and Freya, after the Latin dies Veneris "Venus's day ' . The planet Venus is easy to see the sky when it is full of stars, and are ofte n (despite the fact that it is a planet) called both "evening star" and "morning star" because the light from the usually stronger and clearer than from some of the other stars in the sky. Venus was the Roman goddess of beauty and love, and her color was green and symbolized fertility and growth. Saturday: From Nordic day are known as laugardagr or 'laundry', since this was a normal day to swim at . In Danish, refers the name "Saturday" not for some planets, but if you go into English with "Saturday" this refers directly to the planet Saturn - Saturn's Da y. Saturn is described as an old man who is responsible for keeping track of tim e in the universe, and some of his properties are precautionary, conservation an d care. He is the opposite of generosity. His colors are dark and earthly; brown and black. In traditional astrology Saturn has a bad reputation because it is a ssociated with melancholy, but all the planets reflect both positive and negativ e things. Weekday Monday Tuesday Plants Sun Moon Rulers Frankincense camphor ginger lavender Ceder Mandel Earth smells Oil Colors yellow, Gold White, Violet Red Blue Green brown Magic intent Prosperity, Health Psychological aspects, healing strength Held, abundance, humo r Love, fertility Stability, Grounding, Sparring Wednesday Mars Thursday Friday Saturday Sunday Mercury Jupiter Venus Saturn Yellow, orange Wisdom, learning, mind Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ Time of Magic Page | 75

Sabbaths Sabbaths also play their role in relation to magic. They mark the time of year when specific energy reigns. Therefore, some type of magic more suited t o some of those days than others. (See below sabbaths for more) Imbolg: cleansing, healing, purity, lysmagi. Spring Equinox / Ostara: Frplanting, fertility magic, boot magic for new projects and the mundane activities. Beltane : Sex magic, fertility magic. Mid Summer / Litha: Magic for men and earthy matte rs. Lammas / Lughnasadh: Letting go, spiritual marriage, priesthood, divorce. Au tumn Equinox / Mabon: Magic to increase the intellectual, mental and spiritual a bilities, weaving magic. Samhain: Divination. Winter Solstice / Yule: Celebratin g, magic for children's health, conception. Moon Moon's influence, both us and the magic that we send out. Some times are be tter suited than others. Moon is also widely used in wicca, and its light is han dy in the evening or night if you do outdoor rituals. New moon: new projects, beginnings, initiations, growth potential. Full moon: ps ychic abilities, self-insight, all kinds of magical work. Waning moon: being fre e from something such as bad habits and the like, exorcism, etc. Dark Moon: deep reflection, silence, wisdom. There should be no or very little magic thrown. Time of day The time of day has no great significance yet. Often it is something more personal, where you have an easier time getting in the right mood at a par ticular time of day. But there is still a little bit about what aspects associat ed with the different parts of the day. Morning and Afternoon: New beginnings, inspiration and imagination. Dinner and a fternoon: strength, passion, courage, health and sexuality. Evening: Love, intui tion and emotional balance. Night: Expulsion, luck and wishes. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ Time of Magic Page | 76

Signs & Symbols Pentagram this is the sign for Wicca Signs & Symbols Page | 77

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Tools from Wicca Athamen is a knife with a two-sided sheet. After which it is used to cut with, i t is often lethargic. It is used as a pointing device to direct magical energy s o as to draw the circle edge. It is a masculine symbol that symbolizes the eleme nt fire. Unfortunately, a knife with a two-sided sheet is not always the easiest to get, although there are melee weapons that would be great. These require tha t familiar blank gun license and often costs a lot. You can use any knife as lon g as it is treated as a magic tool. If you have no knife, the index and middle f inger are used, so you point to them. This kind of Athame is legal everywhere, a nd though it may take a little training, it works fine. Bollinen is the white-ha ndled knife, as opposed to Athamen used more practically. It is with this knife you cut herbs and branches for use in rituals or magic, just as it is also used. Bells are used to mark the beginning and end of a ritual, and chase away evil. They symbolize the consecration of the elements of movement. Bell swings represe nt the extremes of good and evil, death and immortality. The use of bells varies widely. Personally I connect the sound of bells with the element air and breath e. Incense is a symbol of the element air, but can also be used to represent fir e. Incense also sharpens the senses and helps to achieve peace. The cup is used practically to have wine or other drink, which is used during rituals. Interest symbolically represents the woman, the feminine element of water. It is open, re ceptive and passive. Cup shape can vary greatly - depending on what seems true f or the individual, and what can be obtained. Tools from Wicca Page | 80

The diet is probably the tool that you associate most with witches. And witches use brooms indeed, but not to fly the children fairy tales. The diet used for cl eaning - both physically from the place you want to perform magic, but also at a cathartic way. So while one sweeps away dirt, removes also negative energy. The pentagram is however probably the most used symbols in wicca. It is an Earth sy mbol, which symbolizes the human body with outstretched arms, the complete perso n. The five peaks representing spirit, water, fire, earth and air (starting with the top and clockwise) and the Spirit of mastery over the elements. Pentagram c ircle symbolizes eternity and perfection. It is used for cleansing and "groundin g". You can buy many beautiful pentagrams - glass plates, pigeon, etc. But it is one of the things that can be easily done yourself, and therefore it can be ver y personal. Statues or other symbols used on the altar like. It can be anything from various statues to small symbols that have meaning for it. Statues function is to create a personal relationship with God. The stick is similar in many way s Athamen. It is also used to direct energy and is also masculine. It represents the element air, and the important thing to remember is that the stick works by invitation - not command. It is used to summon and channel. The stick is simply a stick, which of course can be decorated with symbols, crystals, colored ribbo ns - whatever that just seems to make it just right. The sword is actually a lar ger version of Athamen. It has the same properties and the same ritual use. Ofte n it will be impractical large and more expensive and harder to obtain. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ Tools from Wicca Page | 81

The Elements Earth Earth is the element of form, binding, and manifestation. From an occult p erspective the element of Earth is the lowest in vibratory rate of the four elem ents. Most modern Witchcraft/Wiccan Traditions consider Earth to be a feminine ele ment.Creatures known as Gnomes, a dwarf-like race, symbolize the active magickal principle of the elemental Earth. In a metaphysical sense, the color of Earth i s yellow, symbolizing its vitality, activated by the sun, and it is associated w ith the Northern quarter. Some Wiccan Traditions associate Earth with other dire ctional quarters and other colors. As a magickal agent the element of Earth is s ymbolized by the ritual tool known as a pentacle. In astrology the zodiac signs Capricorn, Virgo, and Taurus are associated with the element of Earth. Air Air i s commonly associated with mental activity and is considered masculine in nature. In modern Wicca/Witchcraft the magickal agent of the element of Air is symbolize d by a ritual tool. Some traditions assign the wand to Air because it was once a branch moving in the wind. Other traditions assign the element of Air to the ri tual blade because of the sound a blade can make when slicing the air. Creatures known as Sylphs, a fairy-like race, symbolize the active magickal principle of elemental air. In a metaphysical sense, the color of Air is blue and it is assoc iated with the Eastern quarter. Some Wiccan Traditions associate Air with other directional quarters and other colors. In astrology, the zodiac signs Aquarius, Libra, and Gemini are associated with the element of Air. In old occult lore it was believed that spirits and ghosts had the power to wrap themselves inside the wind, giving them the ability to become invisible. From this lore, we find othe r associations such as the presence of a ghost indicated by areas of cold air. H owling winds were believed to carry spirits of the night. Because of the associa tion of air, sudden gusts of wind were attributed to spirits and poltergeists. The Elements Page | 82

Fire Fire is sometimes known as the living element. It is perhaps the most ancie nt symbol of divinity. Fire is a living principle of duality, providing light an d heat to aid humankind, while at the same time being a force of death and destr uction. The eternal flame is a common theme in ancient Mystery Cults and typical ly represents the eternal presence of Divinity. Among the ancient Greeks, Hestia symbolized the divine living flame, as did Vesta among the Romans. The ancients believed that fire could lie hidden in a piece of wood. By rubbing two pieces t ogether the fire could often be coaxed from the wood. Once fire was produced the ancients often transported the flame on the end of a giant fennel stick, a cust om that later associated fennel with the forces of light. The connection of fire as the living spirit latent in wood drew worshippers to establish and maintain sanctuaries for their deities within the forests, long after the creation of tow ns and cities. According to ancient legend, statues of deities were encased in a bundle of branches and transported to a new location when another sacred grove was to be established. In this manner the "fire" of the deities' spirit was conv eyed from grove to grove. In modern Wicca, Fire is one of the four creative elem ents. It is traditionally linked to the color red, although this does differ amo ng the various traditions. As a magickal agent the element of fire is symbolized by a ritual tool. Some traditions assign elemental Fire to the ritual blade bec ause the blade was forged in Fire. Other traditions assign it to the wand becaus e of the use of wood as a torch. In astrology the zodiac sign Aries, Leo and Sag ittarius are associated with Fire. Water Water is an element associated with the west quarter. It is a symbol of regeneration, renovation, and dissolution. In o ccultism beings known as Undines are creatures of this element. Traditionally, t he element of Water is associated with the color green - in many modern Wiccan/W itchcraft Traditions the color is blue. In modern Wicca, Water is symbolized by the ritual tool known as the chalice. The chalice contains either water or wine that is used for ritual or magickal purposes. In astrology the zodiac signs Pisc es, Cancer, and Scorpio are associated with the element of Water. The Elements Page | 83

Spirit Many traditions are working with a fifth element that is perceived as eit her "clean" energy, which is not bound by elementenergiens different shapes and / or as a synthesis of element energy, that is the kind of energy that occurs wh en you mix equal parts of they types element energy. It is also what is often ca lled "chi energy" Spirit of the direction of the center, it is however in all di rections. Spirit represents transcendence and transformation. It is associated w ith ecstasy, enlightenment and balance. It has no negative qualities in themselv es, but can not deal with the item, you risk getting a violent backlash or losin g control over yourself and what you do when this type of energy is stronger and more violent to work with than the other four . The colors are white, gray, bla ck and silver - but the Spirit can in principle be any color. In the magical tra dition is the spirit that binds everything together it gives the possibility tha t the motion makes the magic is created. Magical Spirit used to achieve transcen dence, find your way in life, understand things context and deeper meaning, to g ain spiritual knowledge and insight. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ The Elements Page | 84

The Altar The altar is basically another form of tool which can be used in connection with magic, celebration of a sabbatical or just for meditation. Depending on what th e purpose is, but the altar look very different. During a sabbatical, it would b e natural to decorate it with objects and colors that fit this Sabbath. In magic , you will define the thing is that you must use for this purpose. This can be t ools. The altar can be indoors or outdoors, and it can consist of anything from a fairly flat rock to a beautifully decorated table. It is basically up to the s elf and what is just at hand. When the altar is used in connection with a circle , it will be placed with the "back" to the north, often slightly north of center , where you are located. At the altar, you would typically place objects represe nting the Goddess and the God, and preferably also the elements. These can be so me of the following examples. Goddess (her stuff belongs on the left side of the altar): Light dedicated to the goddess, goddess statue, bell, broom, cup, pot. God (his stuff belongs on the right side of the altar): Light dedicated to the g od, statue of the god, athame, white handle knife. Soil: Soil, salt, plants, roc ks. Air: feathers, incense, anxiety. Water: Water, shells, seaweed. Fire: Light, a dragon figure, matches. Things like cakes, wine, Book of Shadows (or other no tes), herbs, oils and candles can be placed anywhere on the altar where there is equal space and they seem to fit. Some choose to have a pentagram in the middle of the altar. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/ The Altar Page | 85

Important Wiccans and witches texts The Witches' Creed Hear now the words of the witches, The secrets we hid in the night, When dark was our destiny's pathway, That now we bring forth into light, Mysterious water and fire, The earth and the wide-ranging air; By hidden quintes sence we know them, And will and keep silent and dare. The birth and rebirth of all nature, The passing of winter and spring, We share with the life universal, Rejoice in magical ring. Four times in the year the Great Sabbat Returns, and th e witches are seen at Lammas and Candlemas dancing, In may Eve and old Hallowe'e n. When day-time and night-time are equal, When sun is greatest and least, The f our lesser Sabbats are summoned, And Withes gather in feast. Thirteen silver moo ns in a year are, Thirteen is a coven's array. Thirteen times make a Esbat make merry, For each golden year and a day. The power that was passed down the age, E ach time between a woman and man, Each century unto the other, Ere time and the age began. When drawn is the magical circle, By sword or athame of power, Its co mpass between two world lies, In kand of the shades for that hour. This world ha s no right the to know it, And the world of beyond will tell naught. The oldest of Gods are invoked there, The Grat Work of magic is wrought. For the two are my stical pillars, That stand at the gate of the shrine, And two ate the powers of nature, The forms and the forces devine. The dark and the light in siccession, T he opposites each onto each, Shown forth as a God and a Godess: Of this our ance stors teach. By night he's wild wind's rider, The Horn'd One, the Lord of the Sh ades. By day he's the King of the Woodland, The dweller in green forest glades. She is youthful or oldas she pleases, She sails the torn clouds in her barque, T he bright silver lady of midnight, The crone who weaves spells in the dark. The master and mistress of magic, That dwell in the deeps of the mind, Immortal and ever-renewing, With power to free or to bind. So drink the good wine to the Old Gods, And Dance and make love in their praise, Till Elphame's fair land shall re cieve us In peace at the end of our days. And Do What You Will be the challenge, So be it Love that harms none, For this is the only commandment. By Magic of ol d, be it done! Source: http://www.controverscial.com Important Wiccans and witches texts Page | 86

The Wiccan Rede bide within the Law you must, in perfect Love and perfect Trust. Live you must and let to live, fairly take and fairly give. For tread the Circl e thrice about to keep unwelcome spirits out. To bind the spell well every time, let the spell be said in rhyme. Light of eye and soft of touch, speak you littl e, listen much. Honor the Old Ones in deed and name, let love and light be our g uides again. Deosil go by the waxing moon, chanting out the joyful tune. Widders hins go when the moon doth wane, and the werewolf howls by the dread wolfsbane. When the Lady's moon is new, kiss the hand to Her times two. When the moon rides at Her peak then your heart's desire seek. Heed the North winds mighty gale, lo ck the door and trim the sail. When the Wind blows from the East, expect the new and set the feast. When the wind comes from the South, love will kiss you on th e mouth. When the wind whispers from the West, all hearts will find peace and re st. Nine woods in the Cauldron go, burn them fast and burn them slow. Birch in t he fire goes to represent what the Lady knows. Oak in the forest towers with mig ht, in the fire it brings the God's insight. Rowan is a tree of power causing li fe and magick to flower. Willows at the waterside stand ready to help us to the Summerland. Hawthorn is burned to purify and to draw faerie to your eye. Hazel-t he tree of wisdom and learning adds its strength to the bright fire burning. Whi te are the flowers of Apple tree that brings us fruits of fertility. Grapes grow upon the vine giving us both joy and wine. Fir does mark the evergreen to repre sent immortality seen. Elder is the Lady's tree burn it not or cursed you'll be. Four times the Major Sabbats mark in the light and in the dark. As the old year starts to wane the new begins, it's now Samhain. When the time for Imbolc shows watch for flowers through the snows. When the wheel begins to turn soon the Bel tane fires will burn. As the wheel turns to Lamas night power is brought to magi ck rite. Four times the Minor Sabbats fall use the Sun to mark them all. When th e wheel has turned to Yule light the log the Horned One rules. In the spring, wh en night equals day time for Ostara to come our way. When the Sun has reached it 's height time for Oak and Holly to fight. Harvesting comes to one and all when the Autumn Equinox does fall. Heed the flower, bush, and tree by the Lady blesse d you'll be. Where the rippling waters go cast a stone, the truth you'll know. W hen you have and hold a need, harken not to others greed. With a fool no season spend or be counted as his friend. Merry Meet and Merry Part bright the cheeks a nd warm the heart. Mind the Three-fold Laws you should three times bad and three times good. When misfortune is enow wear the star upon your brow. Be true in lo ve this you must do unless your love is false to you. "An Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will" Source: http://www.wicca.com/celtic/wicca/rede.htm Important Wiccans and witches texts Page | 87

The Wiccan Credo The Wiccan Credo was released in the 70s, of Lady Gwen Thompson , who is said to have learned it from his grandmother. It is also called "The Re de of Wiccae," which has let it be confused with The Wiccan Rede. Bide the Wicca n Laws we must. In Perfect Love and Perfect Trust. Live and let live, Fairly tak e and fairly give. Cast the Circle thrice about To keep the evil spirits out. To bind the spell every time Let the spell be spake in rhyme. Soft of eye and ligh t of touch, Speak but little, listen much. Deosil go by waxing moon, Chanting ou t the Witches' Rune. Widdershins go by waning moon, Chanting out the baneful run e. When the Lady's moon is new, Kiss thy hand to Her, times two. When the moon r ides at her peak, Then your heart's desire seek. Heed the North wind's mighty ga le, Lock the door and drop the sail. When the wind comes from the South, Love wi ll kiss thee on the mouth. When the wind blows from the West, Departed souls wil l have no rest. When the wind blows from the East, Expect the new and set the fe ast. Nine woods in the cauldron go, Burn them fast and burn them slow. Elder be the Lady's tree, Burn it not or cursed you'll be. Important Wiccans and witches texts Page | 88

When the Wheel begins to turn, Let the Beltane fires burn. When the Wheel has tu rned to Yule, Light the log, the Horned One rules. Heed ye Flower, Bush and Tree , By the Lady, Blessed Be. Where the rippling waters go, Cast a stone and truth you'll know. When ye have a true need, Hearken not to others' greed. With a fool no season spend, Lest ye be counted as his friend. Merry Meet and Merry Part, B right the cheeks and warm the heart. Mind the Threefold Law you should, Three ti mes bad and three times good. When misfortune is enow, Wear the blue star on thy brow. True in Love ever be, Lest thy lover's false to thee. Eight words the Wic can Rede fulfill: As Ye Harm None, Do What Ye Will. Source: http://www.enchantedforest.dk/wicca/credo.html Important Wiccans and witches texts Page | 89

Drawing Down the Moon All ye assembled at mine shrine, Mother Darksome and Divin e. Mine the Scourge and mine the Kiss, Here I charge you in this sign All ye ass embled in my sight, Bow before my spirit bright, Aphrodite, Arianrod, Lover of t he Horned God, Mighty Queen of Witchery and night, Morgan, Etione, Nisene, Diana , Bridgid, Melusine, Am I named of old by men, Artemis and Cerridwen, Hell's dar k mistress, Heaven's Queen. Ye who ask of me a rune, Or would ask of me a boon, Meet me in some secret glade, Dance my round in greenwood shade, By the light of the Full Moon. In a place, wild and lone, Dance about mine altar stone; work my holy mystery. Ye who are feign to sorcery, I bring ye secrets yet unknown. No m ore shall ye know slavery, who give true worship unto me. Important Wiccans and witches texts Page | 90

Ye who tread my round on Sabbat night, come ye naked to the rite, in token that ye be really free. I teach ye the mystery of rebirth, work ye my mysteries in mi rth. Heart joined to heart and lip to lip, five are the points of fellowship, th at bring ye ecstacy on earth, for I am the cicle of rebirth. I ask no sacrifice, but do bow, no other Law but love I know, by naught but love may I be known. Al l things living are mine own, from me they come, to me they go. I invoke Thee an d call upon Thee Mighty Mother of us all. Bringer of Fruitfulness by seed and by root. I invoke Thee by stem and bud. I invoke Thee by life and love and call up on Thee to descend into the body Of this Thy Priestess and Servant. Hear with he r ears, speak with her tongue, touch with her hands, kiss with her lips, that th y servants may be fulfilled. Source: http://web.akasha.no/bos/drmoon.html Important Wiccans and witches texts Page | 91

The Great Rite Invocation Assist me to erect the ancient altar, At which in days past all worshipped; The great altar of all things. For in times of old, woman was the altar. Thus was the altar made and placed, and the sacred place was the point within the center of the circle. As we have of old been taught that the po int within the center is the origin of all things. Therefore should we adore it; Therefore whom we adore we also invoke. O Circle of Stars, Whereof our Father i s but the younger brother, Marvel beyond imagination, soul of infinite space, Be fore whom time is ashamed, The mind bewildered, and the understanding dark, Not unto thee may we attain unless thine image be love. Therefore, by seed and root, and stem and bud, And leaf and flower and fruit do we invoke thee. O Queen of S pace, O Jewel of Light, Continuous One of the heavens; Let it be ever thus That men speak not of thee as One, but as None; And let them not speak of thee at all , Since thou art continuous. For thou art the point within the Circle, which we adore; The point of life, without which we would not be. And in this way truly a re erected the holy twin pillars, In beauty and in strength were they erected To the wonder and glory of all men. Important Wiccans and witches texts Page | 92

Altar of mysteries manifold, the sacred circle's secret point thus do I sign the e as of old with kisses of my lips anoint. Open for me the secret way, the pathw ay of intelligence, beyond the gates of night and day, beyond the bounds of time and sense. behold the mystery aright, the five true points of fellowship, here where the Lance and Grail unite and feet, and knees, and breast, and lip. Source: http://web.akasha.no/bos/greatrite.html Important Wiccans and witches texts Page | 93

Stories Air Meditation It is dawn. I find myself in a forest filled with Aspen trees. I raise my eyes and look for the sky, but the boughs looming overhead hide it from my view. As I look up, feel the cool breeze of spring brush my face, and hear t he sound of the rustling leaves. Blowing, laughing from the east, Eurus brings t houghts of renewal and life. I follow the wind further into the soft shadows of the forest, inhaling deeply the strong scent of the trees. I smell, too, the waf ting hints of fragrant incense. I follow where my senses lead me and come to a s mall clearing circled by burning censers filled with sweet-smelling oils. Toward the east end of the circle is a staff. I walk over to the place and sit on the ground before it. I take the staff into my hands and close my eyes. First come s wirling colors of white then yellow then fading darker into lavender. Then, out of the swirling fog of colors come dozens of small, lithe figures who swirl arou nd as if carried on the wind itself. They dance around my head and body, swirlin g around as if caught in a dance to unheard music. Then, taking my attention fro m the spirits of the air, I look up to find further figures emerging from the mi st. First comes a woman with the beauty of the dawn. As she steps forward, each of the four winds, in turn, hasten from around here and fly, one to each of the four corners of the earth. As she fades, there comes another whose form seems in substantial, and seems to constitute both the image of a woman and a cow at the same time. I look closely the attempt to solidify one form, but I cannot. As thi s image fades, I am presented with the forms of two women who immediately remind me of the nighttime sky. One glows with the pale light of the full moon, and he r eyes hold the fullness of hidden knowledge. The other, whom also seems to radi ate cool starlight, seems to embody the possibilities of many lifetimes. In due course, these figures too fade and I am left with only the mist of the elemental world of air. Suddenly, three male figures issue from the mist. They seem to be three aspects of one man, but each's attributes differ. The first glows with th e light of the moon, seeming to be its protector. The second and third appear al most identical, except that one has a winged helmet and shoes. As I sit and stud y the sameness and difference of the three, they begin to fade, as does the fog. When the mist clears, I find myself sitting within the circle still clutching t he staff in my hands. I place the staff once again on the ground and rise. I tha nk the element of air, and all it is associated with for sharing with me its wis dom, and leave the circle. Source: The Internet Book Of Shadows Stories Page | 94

The place where you relax I find myself on a beach. I begin to walk down the bea ch. I feel the rush of the ocean I hear the ocean roar. When I suddenly encounte rs a beautiful stone which I picked up. When I look at it, I can see a pattern, but it is very interpret. I put the stone in my pocket and go on. When I reach t he end of the beach there is a forest I walk into the woods. When I find myself in the middle of a lot of trees I see a body condition in a tree. With a reverse pattern. I'm taking my rock and looks fit in the hole. When I final take me alo ng to put the stone in the hole, I see a litte pice of wood that fits in between my stone and wood which I put between. Whereupon there arises the nicest light with all the beautiful colors. Whereupon I feel engulfed by the light when I can again see a different light, I see that I am in a room in a house. Before me is a post with the same sign that was in the tree. But now I no longer my stone or piece of wood which should be in between. But suddenly I can hear someone walki ng. And so opened the door and in came a young girl. By asking me what I was doi ng here in Hindes bedroom. And then I say "I know magic I know many things spiri tuale. But this portal does not make sense for where the stones and the small pi ece of wood. " Whereupon the young girl says. It is my portal I created it to ha ve a free place in nature and it took me. Therefore I created this portal. But t he problem is that it works only once with a stone and a piece of wood. So when you've used it once and you are forced to make a new stick. And find a new stone . Whereupon she said "Here is a stone here is a stick. Now you need to carve the pattern of the stick. " I begin to slit, finally I finished. Now when I'm done saying the young girl that I should write a Spell to get home. when I finish my spell. She says that I'm aware that I have found myself to Ratte with my Indian spirituality. Then she gives me a hug and says I am always welcome. I ask if I h ave to go home right away which she says no you can just stay here. Whereupon I put myself on the edge of beds Hindes bed and we begin to sing. We sing and sing about all the good things of life. And about all the difficult situations you m ay be exposed to and whether you should live his life as best you can although i t is sometimes very hard. Since we can not find more to sing about. If it was ni ght outside so we go out and lie us, under the stars and talk about everything f rom good to evil. We go up again and into Hindes bedroom. I take the magic stone and the piece of wood I have sliced and ahead of me and make a circle of candle s and sit in the middle of the circle in which I say "Tree of wood and stone of stone help me comeback again let me see my light again and easily denne vre perman ent stone and a permanent picas of wood easy this portal be permanent, and be bl essed spirit "I turn bright which I give the girl a huge hug and say, Blessed Be which she also says Blessed Be. I take the stone and wood and putter in the hol e which in turn is the most beautiful light. And then I'm back in the woods wher e there again is getting bright. I can hear the animals walking around. And now I take back home. Home where there is Stories Page | 95

only me and all those I love. Written by: Jim HD - 2011 Stories Page | 96

The Magic Circle Circle casting is an important, and at times, difficult activity. It involves th e use of many skills, and for the beginner it can seem like a pointless, if not impossible, routine. How do you do it properly? When should it be done? And perh aps most importantly: how do you know if you've done it? (Keitha mentally rolls up her sleeves and grins). Written by: Keitha (FireWind) Source: http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/witch craft/casting-a-circle.htm The Purposes of a Circle A sacred circle has several purposes, the most signific ant of which is to define an area where formal ritual work can be performed. A c ircle is a place in which the rules and conditions are different to that of the everyday world. A circle is not a barrier, but a doorway to another world. To co ntain any magickal energy raised and to prevent its dissipation until it has bee n used up is another purpose of the circle. The sacred circle does not need to b e physically represented (drawn or marked on the ground), it just needs to be vi sualised. The circle is a spiritual entity. Source http://www.spellsandmagic.com/Casting_a_Circle.html Questions about Opening the circle What is a Circle? A circle is a boundary of e nergy extending halfway above the ground and halfway below. It marks the boundar y between the worlds: inside the circle is a cleansed space where the two worlds can interact. Outside is the mundane, 'regular' world. That's the basics; more on this later. Why do you need a Circle? A circle is cast to create a clean spac e in which to do ritual and magickal workings. It creates an area in which both worlds are present; in a very real sense, it is between the worlds. To invite a Deity, or an Elemental, etc. without a circle (into the mundane world) isn't alw ays such a great idea. It's easier to interact inside a circle. It also acts to keep magickal energy inside until it is ready to be released, or to keep negativ e energy outside. What do I need to know to cast a circle? Well, you must have a lot of focus. You must be able to clearly visualize what you are doing, and how you are doing it. You should be able to feel the energy you are attempting to m ove, and have a clear idea of where you want to put it. Here are a few things to keep in mind: The Magic Circle Page | 97

What is the purpose of your circle? To protect from outside negativity; to conta in magickal energy; to create a space between the worlds; another purpose; a mix ture? The nature of your circle will depend on the ritual you are planning on do ing. How big will your circle be? If you are casting the circle for practise, th en all you need is a circle the size of your own body. For a larger group, no bi g surprise, a larger circle. In my personal opinion, it should be large enough t hat you don't keep wandering to the edges and sticking your head through it. How will you visualize your circle? If you are just learning, it might be best to s tick with simple colours. Later on, you can learn funky patterns and effects. Pr actice casting a circle in your mind during meditation. You must learn how to vi sualize things clearly, hold them in your mind, and focus while you rotate and m ove them. At the beginning, stick to the basics: there's no substitute for them. Can you keep your focus for as long as it takes to set up the circle? If you ar e constantly second-guessing yourself, you can't maintain your concentration. Tr ust yourself. Treat it with respect. Constantly walking in, through, and out of the circle without cutting a door, or otherwise ignoring its boundaries doesn't really help you much. You can't really expect to cast strong circles if you can' t create and keep it in your mind first. The circle is real because you make it real. You make it real by believing in it and acting on it. When do I cast the c ircle? I've found that the best time is right after you have cleansed the space (by blessing, sweeping, or making lots of noise), and before you invoke any elem ents or Deities. If you have others with you for the ritual, save up jokes, and try to make each other laugh really hard just before you create the circle. This further gets rid of any negativity that might be present, and provides enough p ositive energy to cast a good circle. My friend and I have had some fascinating rituals this way. The Magic Circle Page | 98

Casting A Circle - How do I know if I did it? This is the fun part. Everybody ha s their own unique way of sensing circles. Some people can see the circle; as a band of colour, or a thickening of the air. Some people can feel it as a spark o f electricity, or again as a thickening of air. Some people can hear it as a low hum. Everybody is different. One thing is certain, however: circles get really hot. In a strong circle you can feel the cold air rushing in when you cut a door . When you take it down, you can practically feel a breeze. In the beginning, yo u may not be sure whether or not you've succeeded; don't let that bother you. Wh en you really get the hang of it, you'll know for sure. Casting A Circle - What' s this about cutting a door? Cutting a door basically means opening a hole in th e circle so you can leave it. It's best to stay in the circle the whole time it' s up, but there are times when you've forgotten something important in another r oom (like a lighter), or there's something you have to deal with. My personal fa vourite way of cutting a door is to hold your fingers and hand in a straight lin e, and move your hand around a rectangular outline large enough for you to walk through. Visualize the energy of the circle inside that rectangle being sucked i nto your forearm where you can store it until you get back. When closing the doo r, do this in reverse, and then smooth out the edges of where the door was. Visu alize the energy of the circle swirling around until the location of the door is lost. Still, cutting too many doors in a circle can also weaken it eventually. I live in an apartment; will the people downstairs walk into my circle and mess it up? I just added this question because I've wondered about it myself. Yes, th e circle does extend halfway below the floor, and yes, someone downstairs could walk right through the bottom part of it. All I can suggest is that you either d o your rituals after you're sure they're out or asleep, or just try not to think about it. :) When and how do I take the circle down? At the very end of ritual. After the Deities are gone, the Element/als have returned to their respective r ealms, etc. etc. etc. The only thing that generally follows taking down the circ le is eating, drinking, and chatting. Take the circle down exactly the same way that you set it up, in reverse. Take as much time to take it down as you took to set it up. Send the energy back into the Earth, the Sky, or wherever you chose to get it from. If you used the energy from the Earth and Sky, then it's a good idea to change it into healing energy for our planet and our skies before you ch annel it back. The Magic Circle Page | 99

What's the best way to practice casting a circle? Actually: alone. If you can do it alone, then you can do it in a group; it doesn't always work in reverse. Wor king alone also lets you develop your own style, and you don't need to worry abo ut people staring at you. You can work on your concentration more easily by your self, and you don't feel like you're boring people if you take a while. Write yo ur own visualizations and keep track of your results in a journal. But above all , learn to trust yourself and your instincts; it's one of the most valuable gift s you can give yourself. Written by: Keitha (FireWind) Source: http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/witch craft/casting-a-circle.htm The Magic Circle Page | 100

Jim Hds way of making the circle Opening the circle Take your atheme or your sti ck or your finger and go round in the circle and run atheme off the ground while saying these words. Danish Lad denne cirkel Blive bnet, Lad dens Magi flyve, Luk alle de onde nder ude, Nu hvor jeg bnere denne magiske cirkel, Og bner op for Gud og G udinden. English Let this circle be opened, Let the magic fly, Close all the dem ons out, Now when I open this magic circle, And open up to God and Goddess. The Magic Circle Page | 101

Closing the circle Do the same as above bullet just doing it from the top down a nd say that marketing words instead (important to remember is that you must not leave the circle until you have closed it). Danish Lade denne cirkel lukke, lad denne skjulte cirkel g, Til jeg eller en anden skal bruge den igen, og jeg takker jer Gud og Gudinden, for jeres hjlp, Blessed Be. English Let this circle close, le t this hidden circle go, Until I or another will use it again, and I thanks God and Goddess, for your help, Blessed Be. Written by: Jim HD - 2011 The Magic Circle Page | 102

How To Cast a Circle 1 In Wicca and Paganism, one of the facets common to nearly all traditions is the use of a circle as a sacred space. While other religions rely on the use of a building such as a church or temple to hold worship, Wiccan s and Pagans can cast a circle pretty much any place they choose. This is partic ularly handy on those pleasant summer evenings when you decide to hold ritual ou t in the back yard under a tree instead of in your living room! Difficulty: Easy Time Required: Varied Start by determining how big your space needs to be. A ce remonial circle is a place in which positive energy and power are kept in, and n egative energy kept out. The size of your circle will depend on how many people need to be inside it, and what the circle s purpose is. If you re hosting a small coven meeting for a few people, a nine-foot-diameter circle is sufficient. On the othe r hand, if it s Beltane and you ve got four dozen Pagans preparing to do a Spiral Dance, you ll need a space significantly larger. A solitary practitioner can work easily i n a three- to five-foot circle. Figure out where your Circle should be cast. In some traditions, a Circle is physically marked on the ground, while in others it is merely visualized by each member of the group. If you have an indoor ritual space, you can mark the Circle on the carpet. Do whichever your tradition calls for. Once the Circle is designated, it is usually navigated by the High Priest o r High Priestess, holding an athame, a candle, or a censer. Which direction will your circle face? The circle is almost always oriented to the four cardinal poi nts, with a candle or other marker placed at the north, east, south and west and the altar in the center with all the necessary tools for the ritual. Before ent ering the circle, participants are purified as well. How do you actually cast th e circle? Methods of casting the circle vary from one tradition to another. In s ome forms of Wicca, the God and Goddess are called upon to share the ritual. In others, the Hight Priest (HP) or High Priestess (HPs) will begin at the north an d call upon the deities of the tradition from each direction. Usually this invoc ation includes a mention of the aspects associated with that direction emotion, in tellect, strength, etc. A sample ritual for casting a circle might take place li ke this: The Magic Circle Page | 103

Mark the circle upon the floor or the ground. Place a candle in each of the four quarters green to the North to represent Earth, yellow in the East to represent A ir, red or orange symbolizing Fire in the South, and blue to the West in associa tion with Water. All necessary magical tools should already be in place upon the altar in the center. Let s assume that the group, called Three Circles Coven, is le d by a High Priestess. The HPs enters the circle from the east and announces, Let i t be known that the circle is about to be cast. All who enter the Circle may do so in perfect love and perfect trust. Other members of the group may wait outside t he circle until the casting is complete. The HPs moves clockwise around the circ le, carrying a lit candle (if it s more practical, use a lighter instead). At each o f the four cardinal points, she calls upon the Deities of her tradition (some ma y refer to these as Watchtowers, or Guardians). As she lights the candle in the East from the one she carries, the HPs says: Guardians of the East, I call upon you to watch over the rites of Three Circles Coven. Powers of knowledge and wisd om, guided by Air, we ask that you keep watch over us tonight within this circle . Let all who enter the circle under your guidance do so in perfect love and per fect trust. The HPs moves to the South, and lights the red or orange candle, say ing: Guardians of the South, I call upon you to watch over the rites of Three Ci rcles Coven. Powers of energy and will, guided by Fire, we ask that you keep wat ch over us tonight within this circle. Let all who enter the circle under your g uidance do so in perfect love and perfect trust. Next, she circles around to the West, where she lights the blue candle and says: The Magic Circle Page | 104

Guardians of the West, I call upon you to watch over the rites of Three Circles Coven. Powers of passion and emotion, guided by Water, we ask that you keep watc h over us tonight within this circle. Let all who enter the circle under your gu idance do so in perfect love and perfect trust. Finally, the HPs goes to the las t candle in the North. When lighting it, she says: Guardians of the North, I cal l upon you to watch over the rites of Three Circles Coven. Powers of endurance a nd strength, guided by Earth, we ask that you keep watch over us tonight within this circle. Let all who enter the circle under your guidance do so in perfect l ove and perfect trust. At this point, the HPs will announce that the circle is c ast, and other members of the group can ritually enter the circle. Each person a pproaches the HPs, who will ask: How do you enter the circle? Each individual wi ll respond: In perfect love and perfect trust or In the light and love of the Go ddess or whatever response is appropriate to your tradition. Once all members ar e present within the circle, the circle is closed. At no time during ritual shou ld anyone exit the circle without performing a ceremonial cutting. To do this, hold yo ur athame in your hand and make a cutting motion across the line of the circle, first to your right and then to your left. You are essentially creating a door in the circle, which you may now walk through. When you return to the circle, enter it in the same place you exited, and close the doorway by reconnecting the line of the ci rcle with the athame. The Magic Circle Page | 105

When the ceremony or rite has ended, the circle is usually cleared in the same m anner in which it was cast, only in this case the HPs will dismiss the deities o r Guardians and thank them for watching over the coven. In some traditions, the temple is cleared simply by having all members raise their athames in salute, th anking the God or Goddess, and kissing the blades of the athame. If the above me thod of casting a circle seems boring or dull to you, that s okay. It s a basic framewor k for ritual, and you can make yours as elaborate as you like. If you re a very poet ic person who likes lots of ceremony, feel free to use creative license call upon the weavers of the wind, the breezes that blow from the East, blessing us with wisd om and knowledge, so mote it be, etc, etc. If your tradition associates various dei ties with the directions, call upon those Gods or Goddesses in the ways that the y expect you to do so. Just make sure that you don t spend so much time casting the Circle that you don t have any time left for the rest of your ceremony! Tips: Have a ll your tools ready ahead of time -- this will save you from scrambling around d uring the middle of the ritual looking for things! If you forget what you mean t o say when casting the circle, improvise. Talking to your deities should come fr om the heart. If you make a mistake, don't sweat it. The universe has a pretty g ood sense of humor, and we mortals are fallible. What You Need Athame Candles Ce nser Other tools of your tradition Written by: Patti Wigington Source: http://paganwiccan.about.com/od/wiccanandpag anrituals/ht/Cast_Circle.htm The Magic Circle Page | 106

How to Cast a Circle 2 Why bother, and how to do it? These questions probably cr oss your mind from time to time. The "why" has a few answers: Some cast a circle for protection, some to shift between the physical and etheric planes, some see the circle as a container used to store energy until the right moment to releas e that energy towards a certain goal. Now, everyone casts a circle in his/her ow n manner. A circle casting can be very very elaborate, or very simple. We'll sta rt simply: The idea behind every basic circle is like a child setting up a tea p arty. Cleansing equals the set-up, calling in the deities/elementals/beings you wish to have present is like inviting the other children (or stuffed animals!) o ver, and the ritual is the actual party. The act of "casting the circle" part of casting the circle (if that makes any sense) is like setting a boundary between the attendees and the uninvited. Setting up involves cleaning the area, physica lly, psychically, and energetically. Clean your practice area so you can move as you see fit. Cleansing with elements can be done by smudging with incense, carr ying a candle around, asperging with blessed water, setting out stones around th e boundary of where you plan to work...or a combination of any of the above. My method? I start in the northeast with my besom (broom) and walk counterclockwise (widdershins) to "sweep out" negative energy first. Then I go back to the altar , take my incense (fire and air combined), bless it, then walk with it clockwise (deosil) to replenish the freshly-blessed air and fire energy. Back to the alta r, consecrate and bless water (and add in 3 pinches of salt to make earth and wa ter combined) so sprinkle that around clockwise to replenish the freshly-blessed water and earth energy. I personally call in the elements before casting the ci rcle, then cast, then invite the deities. Calling the elements (watchtowers, ele mentals, etc) can be really simple: "I welcome the Air to my circle"...you can s ay this in your head while visualizing a breeze blowing or whatever makes you fe el like "Air" is specifically present. Traditionally, people go to the East side of the circle to call the Air first, then South and Fire, then West and Water, then North and Earth. Some people do it differently...that's where reading and r esearch is necessary to find out different methods and decide what works best fo r YOU. However, there's nothing wrong with trying it different a few times until it feels right...something might sound perfect when you read it, but how you fe el when you actually do it is the key. The Magic Circle Page | 107

Casting the circle...you can use a tool (wand, athame, sword, staff, etc.) or ju st your finger. I begin in the northeast again, point to the ground with a tool or my finger, and visualize a beam of light flowing from the tip to the ground. I walk clockwise around the circle, say something simple like, "I cast this circ le to create a boundary between the world of man and the realm of the divine" wh ile visualizing that beam of light trailing behind, forming a wall or shell that the divine and energies I allow can get through, but nothing that I want to blo ck out can cross. When I get to the starting point, I sometimes will bend down a nd tap the starting point like I'm connecting the two ends, and say something to the effect of, "My circle is now cast and whole!" Now that everything's all set up, I invite my guests of honor: The God and Goddess. Sometimes I choose partic ular deities, but usually I just work with them as "God and Goddess." I light a candle and welcome them in. Don't demand that they join you ("I SUMMON you to jo in me!")...and don't be meek "Hi, um...if you can, can you please join me?'). Kn ow they will come and greet them like you're greeting an expected guest at the d oor. "I welcome you to my circle and thank you for providing your energies to my work/ritual/celebration." Give them a vessel in which they can stay...a candle, a statue, a picture of each one, a stone representing them, etc. I usually welc ome the Goddess first. Now's time for your purpose of casting a circle...be it f or meditation, a sabbat or esbat ritual, a spell... After the main working, I ho ld a simple feast...some food and drink to replenish myself. A slice of bread an d a glass of juice works, and it's suggested that you leave a small libation for the energies you were working with. Bless your juice, pour some into a bowl, an d then drink. Bless your bread, break off a piece and put it into the bowl, and then eat. You can leave it somewhere or bury it when you're cleaning up afterwar ds...the idea is to visualize that those energies who are your guests are partak ing of the food's energy (though maybe not the physical matter) before you just toss it in the garbage. When I'm done, I thank the deities in the opposite order in which I welcomed them. Again, it's thanking them for coming...not saying "Th e party's over, so GET OUT." When you feel they have left (though they are alway s present) snuff the candles. So for example: "Thank you, Lord, for joining me i n this ritual. Merry Meet, merry part, and merry meet again. (Wait a moment, the n snuff God candle...then move on to Goddess candle.) The Magic Circle Page | 108

Then I cut the circle and either "absorb" the light back into my tool or finger (while walking counter-clockwise) or I "erase" it. Again, when done, I say somet hing that completes the action, "By my hand, this circle is now erased and this area is returned to the realm of man." Then, I wave goodbye to the elements...go to the North and thank Earth for coming, then West and Water, then South and Fi re, then East and Air. Finally, I return to my altar and make some sort of state ment that the ritual is now complete. I usually do some kind of action like ring a bell or snuff out the last candle that marks the final moment...like a judge using his gavel and saying "Case closed." Oh...and don't forget to clean up your area when you're done. You can make this even more simple by sitting in one spo t, visualizing a shell of energy growing up around you, and welcoming the elemen ts and deities in your mind. Or you can be more elaborate with dancing, a script of flowery language and all statements in rhyme...whatever works for you. Written by: Rhaevyn Sunrise Source: http://www.collegewicca.com/BOSfiles/circle. html The Magic Circle Page | 109

How to Cast a Circle 3 Wiccans and other pagans and neo-pagans who practise Ritu al Magick cast magick circles, also called sacred circle, ritual circle or just circle. Whatever the name, it is a circle inside which pagan rituals are perform ed. The circle acts as a portal to the realm of the deities, as a protection fro m evil forces and simply a psychological tool to put you in the right state of m ind (or even trance), that signifies that what you are doing is special. 1. Puri fy the place where you will cast your circle. Purify physically (clean up) as we ll as spiritually (take your hands, or broom, athame or wand and direct positive energy into the area, to push away negative energy). You could try using witch hazel to cleanse the area - a couple of drops in each corner of the room and rou nd the perimeter of the circle should be sufficient. 2. Physically determine the bounds of your circle, if you want. Do this by drawing a circle on the floor, s prinkling salt water in a circle, or by laying a cord in a circle (make sure you tie it). Anyhow, the circle is usually as wide as you are tall. 3. Place all th e objects you will be using in your ritual inside the circle. 4. Represent the e lements in the four quarters of your circle (called corners by some, but a circl e doesn't have any corners!). Place something that represent Earth in the north, Air in the east, Fire south and Water west. Bless (or ask for consecration of) these things. (See tips for things that represent the elements.) Be sure to have some food and drink to share with the spirits, to thank them and to replenish y our energy. 5. Take your magick weapon, whether it be hands, a broom, athame or wand, and walk round the spot where your circle will be thrice, clockwise: "Cast the circle thrice about, to keep the evil spirits out." State the purpose of th e circle. 6. Invoke the elements and spirits and deities you wish to work with. Call them to the objects that represent them. Take each of the objects that repr esent the elements around your circle, filling it with the power of each of them . 7. Meditate for a while now. Meditation or astral projection might be the main act, or it serves just to shift your consciousness. The Magic Circle Page | 110

8. Do whatever it is you want to do in your circle. Remember: "An it harm none, do what ye will." If you must leave the circle before you are done, cut a doorwa y (quite literally, envision a doorway being cut from the edge of the circle, up , to the side, then down again. Reclose the circle once you're back in. 9. Close the circle when you're done: pay respect to whatever deities you invited, thank the elements before you remove their representative objects, and finally undo t he casting by casting in reverse. Soruce: http://www.wikihow.com/Cast-a-Circle Opening the circle Circle is the magically prepared area where many Wiccans cele brate the turning of the Wheel. What I will discuss here is how I see Circle ... simply my viewpoint and in no way the final word. Remember that your own heart and spirit will guide you in things. If something sounds uncomfortable to you, t hen don't do it. Please! Don't let someone's supposed expertise/knowledge lead y ou into doing something that you are not sure about. No one can tell you how to worship or who to worship. Ok...the Circle is the area where I hold my rituals, where I worship my Gods, where I cast my spells. The first thing I do before Cir cle is to prepare myself through a salt-bathing ritual. This involves cleaning m yself with soap and water...leaving the daily worries behind with my clothing wo rn that day. Then I join salt and water to charge myself, to cleanse myself. Whe n I am ready to begin my Circle, I either robe or not, that is a matter of perso nal choice to me. Then I move to where I am doing my Circle...assuming that I am not doing it in my bathroom. I light the candles on my altar which I always pla ce in the East. Put your altar wherever it feels the most right to you. These re present the Lady and her Lord. I set fire to my incense. I center and ground mys elf. If I am circling with another, we hold hands and do three Oms to bring our energies into balance. At this point I am going to walk you through casting a Ci rcle. This is NOT the way I do a Circle privately, but it is the way I do it pub licly. My way of doing it is oathbound and I may only reveal that to those who a re properly prepared and known to me. The Magic Circle Page | 111

First, call the Lady and the Lord to join you in your circle. Do this with rever ence and respect. They are your Deities and should be invited never commanded! A simple Invocation to each follows: Lady of the Night, Mistress of the Day Pleas e hear the call of your daughter/son (or simply your magical name) Silvery Moon Woman watch as I lay This Circle of Power . Great Hunter, Father, Son and Lover Hear my call if you will Laughing Man, Eternal Man watch over This Circle of Pow er. So, you have invited your Deities in. Take a moment to feel Their presence. Smile at the Lady's warmth...the Lord's being. These are your Deities and are in deed there for you. Once you know that They are attending your rite, you begin t o cast the Circle. You first will cast the Circle with fire and air, elements of East and South. Incense is fire and air. Present the burning incense at the alt ar and then walk your Circle deosil. Deosil is the direction of the sun as it tr avels the Earth. When you return to the altar, replace the incense. NOTE: Use a hotpad if you are in danger of burning yourself! I have a small ceramic cauldron made by a Pagan potter, but I also use a large shell on occasion. Once the air and fire have cast the Circle, then join salt and water together. Again, with re verence! This is a religious ceremony you are doing so try to be respectful. The Goddess says in Her charge "all things in reverence and mirth" so if you giggle so be it....but do try to start with respect. Take the earth and water (salt an d water) and present it over the altar. Now, traveling deosil, asperge your Circ le with water and earth. Asperge is to lightly flick water from the bowl with yo ur fingers and cast to the edges of your Circle. Return to the altar and replace the water bowl. The Magic Circle Page | 112

Now, with your finger, your athame, your wand....cast your Circle with Spirit. T hat is you, your energy, your heart and spirit at work. You may say words as you go if you wish. A simple Circle invocation could go something like this: Be tho u cast, Circle. As I walk thy boundaries So do you hold my power. Set me apart f rom the world of man Make me apart form the realm of spirit. Hold me between the worlds as I work my magic. You may see or feel energy coming from you as you wa lk the edge of your Circle. Or you may not! Don't worry about it. When you retur n to the altar, salute the East. Now, at this point you may call the Quarters if you wish. A simple Quarter call could be: Spirit and guardian of the (direction ) I do call you to my Circle. Do thou watch from the (direction) and keep me saf e. Witness my workings and lend me thy aid Thou guardian of the (direction) Do e mbellish on any of this as you see fit. This is just meant to help those of you who have never done a Circle and are unsure as to the actual mechanics of castin g. Remember that you must follow your own path! Read! Ask questions! Learn and g row! Now then, I have tried to show you throughout this writing what Circle is t o me. Hopefully you will be able to cast a Circle for yourself. What you do with in the boundaries of your Sacred Space is up to you. I would hope that you would be ever mindful of the Wiccan Rede and do things for good and not for harm. Ope ning the Circle is another matter and I will address that on another page. Just remember that what you put up you must take down. Written by: Arwen Nightstar Source: http://www.anisoptera.com/grimoire/circle.ht m The Magic Circle Page | 113

Calling the Quarters/Casting Your Circle The quarters reside in the cardinal poi nts, East, South, West, and North. When you call the Quarters, you are doing mor e than simply circling the compass, however; you are inviting the symbolic energ ies for each of them to attend and guard over your working and to become part of your magick. The act of calling the Quarters is an integral part of casting a c ircle. The circle being the sacred space in which ritual and magick are performe d. It is a safe space in which to work and worship, a portable temple if you lik e. When calling a Quarter, whether verbally, or in the case of those limited to silent casting, through visualization, you will want to use as many senses as po ssible to describe, qualify and thus call the essence of the Quarter to your wor king. To call the Quarter, first face in the direction of the Quarter, holding y our athame as an extension of your arm. Visualize what the Quarter means and dra w that image to you. Draw an invoking pentagram. Recite (either aloud or clearly in your mind) words that address and invite the Quarter. Breathe in and feel yo urself infused with the essence of the Quarter. Let s look at each part of the above paragraph in a little more detail. Facing the direction of the Quarter is easy, but what does the Quarter mean to you? For East, the domain of the element Air, this could be a fresh breeze upon your face, or it could be memory of a hurrica ne force wind. For Fire, a crackling fireplace, or a blazing forest wildfire? Th ere are varying degrees of intensity, and none of them are more wrong or right t o use than another. Use what stirs your visualization and fills you with the sen se of the Quarter being called. I personally use a mix of gentle and forceful, b ut not destructive images as they strike a balance for me. Draw your invoking pe ntagram with your athame in the air in the direction of the Quarter. There is a specific invoking and banishing pentagram for each quarter. If you wish to use t hem, please do so. In order to keep this from sounding like a you must do this or y our circle won t work article, we are not going to include them here. Rituals should fi rst and foremost work for you, and what works for someone else, may not be right for you. A basic invoking pentagram starts at the bottom left hand point, moves to the top point, down to the bottom right hand point, to the left-hand point, to the right-hand point, and back to the bottom left hand point. A basic banishi ng pentagram begins at the top point and moves down to the bottom left point to the right point, to the left point, to the bottom right point, and back to the t op. The Magic Circle Page | 114

What words should you use? There are many books on this topic. Your call can be formal and start with All Hail the Guardians of the Watchtowers of the (direction), we seek your presence here tonight. Or, your call can be friendly and something like, Powers of (element), we invite you to be with us this eve. A complete call deno tes the element, animal and quality of each individual Quarter. For example: Gua rdians of the East, Powers of Air; you who are thought and the wind upon my face . Winged eagle of the skies who is the morning breeze and the wrath of storms, I call upon and invite your presence to witness this rite. Guardians of the South , Powers of Fire, you who are passion and the hearth. Great Snake who lives with in the coals of the home fires as well as wild fires, I call upon and invite you r presence to witness this rite. Guardians of the West, Powers of Water, you who are emotions and pure love. Gentle Dolphin of the waves who is the morning dew, and the torrential rains, I call upon and invite your presence to witness this rite. Guardians of the North, Powers of Earth, you who are the stabilizer and nu rturer. Powerful Buffalo who paws the ground and stands solid as the mountains, I call upon and invite your presence to witness this rite. After you have called the North, turn again to the East, and your circle has been cast. You may now p roceed with your ritual, or spell. When you are ready to Dismiss the Quarters an d Open the Circle, work backwards while facing each Quarter. Begin with North, t hen West, South, and East. Thank the Quarter and bid it farewell. The Magic Circle Page | 115

For Example: Guardians of the North, of Earth, I thank you for your solid presen ce here tonight. Stay if you will, go if you must. Farewell and Blessed Be. Guar dians of the West, of Water, I thank you for your soothing presence here tonight . Stay if you will, go if you must. Farewell and Blessed Be. Guardians of the So uth, of Fire, I thank you for your energetic presence here tonight. Stay if you will, go if you must. Farewell and Blessed Be. Guardians of the East, of Air, I thank you for your whispered presence here tonight. Stay if you will, go if you must. Farewell and Blessed Be. Your circle has been opened, your Quarters dismis sed. J Please have fun and get creative with your Quarter calls. Perhaps even sp end some time meditating on the different Quarters to really get in touch with w hat they bring to your life and ritual. The above Quarter calls/dismissals are m y personal ones; please feel free to use them as written or change them to suit you. Written by: Rain Stormsong Soruce: http://herbalmusings.com/how-to-cast-a-circle .htm The Magic Circle Page | 116

Casting The Circle 1 First, ground and center yourself. Stand with both feet fir mly on the ground, and relax your arms at the sides of your body. Simply feel an d visualize the energy of the Earth below you, and the Sky above you. Face one o f the directions, and physically reach down with your arm and gather the energy of the Earth into your hand. Reach up to the Sky and gather the energy of the Sk y into your other hand. Now scoot down near the ground and face your palms outwa rd, sending that energy into a smooth wall of colour that will spread itself int o the shape of a circle. Rise up as you do this, shaping and smoothing the wall at this corner. Repeat this at the other three directions, constantly smoothing and shaping it with your hands. At each direction, the circle gets stronger and thicker; there are no gaps because the energy of the circle constantly swirls ar ound evenly. See the energy as a thick, fluid stream of colour. It also flows un der the ground, to even itself out as a complete sphere. You can shape it underg round by visualizing it through the floor. Solidify it by visualizing the energy of the circle as sticking together, like hot glue or warm honey. When you feel the circle is 'set', all you have to do now is keep it in mind, and perhaps make minor re-adjustments if you feel it is necessary. Take as much time as you need , and don't rush. No-one's holding a stopwatch. Don't be afraid to move around s pontaneously; no-one's marking you on grace or coolness. And most importantly, d on't be afraid to screw up; that's an important way to learn. Written by: Keitha (FireWind) Source: http://www.spiritual.com.au/articles/witch craft/casting-a-circle.htm The Magic Circle Page | 117

Casting and Closing a Circle How to Cast a Circle A circle can be cast for all m agickal acts. The size of a circle varies vastly it should be able to comfortably fit those using it. Certain actions must be performed and certain words said in a loud, clear voice. An altar should be placed in the circle in a north, centre or east position. 1. Cleanse yourself and you chosen area. You should have a bath and clear the area completely. Set up an altar with the following items: a flat pentagram symbol, two black candles, an athame or sword, a small bell, a bowl of salt, a bowl of water, a chalice and a saucer. 2. Light your altar candles. Hol ding blade, walk around your circle, and say: With this sacred blade I cast the cir cle of my craft. May it be a doorway to a sacred circle beyond time and space. L et it be a meeting place for all good, and may it deter all wickedness. 3. Stand in front of your altar, pick up your bell, and say: In the names of the Goddess and t he Horned God, I cast this my working circle. Afterwards, ring your bell. 4. Return to the North and raise your blade high before you. Call out: Bear witness, Spirits of the North, guardians of Wicca. Go to the East, South and West and repeat at eac h. 5. At the altar, put your bowl of salt on the pentagram and lower your blade into the bowl of salt, saying: I exorcise thee, so that it may be purified and may aid me well. 6. Put your bowl of water on the pentagram and take a pinch of salt an d sprinkle it into the water. Lower the blade of your athame into the water, say ing: I cleanse and consecrate thee, Water of Life, and ask you to bless this circle . In the names of the Goddess and the Horned God, so mote it be! 7. Pick up and hol d the consecrated water and walk slowly around the circle again (still clockwise ), and sprinkle a few drops along the line of the Circle, saying: I consecrate this sacred circle by the powers of Earth, Air, Fire, and Water. May the Goddess bes tow her love herein, and the Horned God his honour. Pick up your chalice, pour a sm all amount in the saucer for the Goddess and the Horned God, then take a sip you rself. After, place the chalice back on your pentagram. The Magic Circle Page | 118

This completes the casting of your circle. Specific activity can now be performe d here, such as a Sabbat ritual, making a charm, or healing. It is absolutely cr ucial you do not leave the circle until your activity is complete, and without p roperly closing it. When your chosen focus is complete, move on to closing the c ircle. How to Close a Circle Go to the North, hold up your blade, and say, Guardian s and spirits of the North wind, my ritual is now complete. I bid you hail and f arewell. Hail and farewell. Repeat counterclockwise from North to West, to South, t o East, and back to the North again. Extinguish your altar candles and bow your head at the altar, saying, I declare this scared circle closed. So mote it be. Ring a bell to complete the closing and step out. Source: http://www.spellsandmagic.com/Casting_a_Circle.html The Magic Circle Page | 119

Casting the circle 2 The purpose of casting a circle is to create a sacred place in which to perform spells and rituals.There are a variety of different ways to cast a circle. Different Wiccans/Pagans use many tools while others use very fe w, or none at at. In traditional Wicca, one calls upon the watchtowers while oth ers call to angels, dragons etc. Though there are some standard traditional rule s, whom you call upon, and how many tools you wish to use in your magickal worki ngs should be done according to what feels comfortable to YOU. Some prefer to pe rform rituals skyclad (nude), some wear robes, and others just wear regular, cle an comfortable clothing. Below is a point form guide line of the structure used by many Witches to cast a circle and perform a ritual. Clean the area you will b e working in Some form of personal cleansing prior to ritual such as bathing. Ho wever a shower or even washing your hands & face will do in a pinch. Gathering a nd arranging items needed for your ritual Meditation Calling the 4 elements or q uarters : East, South, West & North Invoking the diety/deities of your choice St ate purpose of ritual Building personal energy and visualizing the intent of the spell or ritual. This can be done in many ways: By starting to slowly dance and gradually picking up the pace Drumming, chanting, or singinging the goal or int ent (and as with dancing, starting softly or slowly, and gradually picking up th e pace). When energy has come to a peak it is released, sending its power to the ethers Offering and ingesting a small portion of wine, juice etc., and cake, co okie or other baked good. Thanking the diety/deities for their presence and rele asing them. Thanking the Spirits of the elements for their presence and releasin g them : North, West, South & East Grounding the energy Opening the circle Buryi ng left over items (incense ash, charcoal block, water, wine, salt etc. in the e arth. (If you can not go out side for any reason, have a pot of earth at hand th at is used for this purpose and return it to the earth when possible). The Magic Circle Page | 120

The corresponding candle colours for the elements are : East - yellow South - re d West - blue North - green Casting a Circle Taken from Scott Cunningham's Wicca : Things you'll need are: 4 stones (or candles) - brown - N, blue - E, red - S, green - W and whatever altar/craft tools you use. Set up alter facing east. Set down stones starting with North and moving deosil. Light the candles. Set incens e to smoking. Touch atham to water. Visualize the banishment of negativity and say : I consecrate and cleanse this water That it may be purified and fit to Dwell w ithin this sacred circle of stones In the name of the mother goddess and father god I consecrate this water. Touch atham to salt and say: I consecrate and cleanse this salt That it may be purified and fit to Dwell within this sacred circle of stones In the name of the mother goddess and father god I consecrate this salt Face north. Hold atham out at waist level. Walk deosil around the circle perimiter charging it with your energy and words: Here is the boundry of the circle of st ones Naught but love shall enter in and Naught but love shall emerge from within Charge this by your powers, old ones. As you walk, stretch the energy into a sp here around area above and below ground. When you are once again north, place at ham on alter and take up salt and sprinkle it around circle. Next censer, the sout hern red candle, and finally water. The circle is now sealed. Call and visualize the brown North, blue East, crimson South, and green West. O, Spirit of the [di rection] Stone, The Magic Circle Page | 121

Ancient one of the [element] I call upon you to attend this circle Charge this b y your powers, old ones. The circle is complete. To release the quarters, walk w iddershins around the circle, starting North Farewell, Spirit of the [direction] Stone I give thee my thanks for your attendance here Go in power. The Circle is open, but unbroken. Source: http://www.angelfire.com/games3/ladyashmon/circle.html The Magic Circle Page | 122

Spells & Witchcraft Spells must be used wisely and do not harm anyone. Book of Shadows Blessings Hea rken as the witches' word calls to All, a gulf to ford. Bridge the vast realitie s, An it harm none, do as ye please. Elements protect and guard this book, From wandering eyes and prying looks. Fill it with thine ancient power, In this right and ready hour. Powers of North, the East below, Help me to live, to learn, to grow. Lend your strength and stability, To practice the Craft and with love be f ree. Powers of East, the Wind, the Sky, Watch over these pages with thine eye. Y our wisdom and knowledge, for these I do ask, That this book be worthy of the Cr aft and its task. Powers of South, Fire, and the Hearth, Help these Shadows to p rove their worth. Infuse them with all your Healing and Passion, So only good co mes from the Work that is fashioned. Powers of West, the Water and Sea, Change a nd growth are granted by thee. Bless these pages with all that you know, That ri ghteous readers may learn and grow. And to the unschooled eye that see Confusing words and sophistry, Lead them from these sacred pages, And bless their passage through the ages. For free will of all, And harm of none, As I have willed it, It is now done. So mote it be! Written by: Silver Ravenwolf Source: http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spell s/blessing-of-the-book-of-shadows.htm Spells & Witchcraft Page | 123

Self-Forgiveness Pray This spell I to help you forgive and accept yourself, when you know you've done something wrong, and can't stop worrying about it. Chant 3 times. Conscious is this memory of mine, always at the back of my mind. Invokin g guilt, invoking shame, causing me such emotional pain. Too long these thoughts have filled my head, whilst acting as a spiritual debt. What's in the past has come and gone, now I have learnt where I went wrong. Through forgiveness of the act. Through acceptance of what's now known. From the memories which haunt me, I can finally be left alone. Always in my conscience, the moral shall reside, but from the act that taught it, the moral shall divide. And as my mind begins to c lear, this memory shall disappear. Let this spell not be reversed, or placed upo n me as any curse. As is my will, this shall be done. So mote it be! The spell i s done! Written by: Kitty Source: http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/self-forg iveness-spell.htm Spells & Witchcraft Page | 124

Bless you Bless you for your Anger, for it is a sign of Rising Energy. Direct it not at your family, waste not on your enemy. Transform the energy into Versatil ity and it will bring you prosperity. Bless you for the times you see evil. Evil is energy mishandled and it feeds on your support. Feed it not and it will self destruct. Shed light and it will cease to be. Bless you for your jealousy for i t is a sign of empathy. Direct it not at your family. Direct it not at your frie nds. Transform the energy to Admiration, and what you admire will become a part of your life. Count your blessings everyday for they are your protection which s tands between you and what you wish not. Count your curses and they will be a wa ll which stands between you and what you wish Source: http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/blessing-spell.htm Spells & Witchcraft Page | 125

A Person Blessing Get a white candle-either a plain one (offertory, pillar, or t aper) or a figural one in the gender of the person you want to bless. Carve the person's full name on the candle, then dress it with Blessing Oil or Holy Oil. F or more power, you may place a name-paper of the person, or a photo, or some per sonal item of theirs (such as a bit of hair or a snippet of clothing) either und er the candle or next to it. One easy way to do this is to place the paper or pe rsonal concerns under an overturned saucer and put the candle on top of the sauc er. Burn a portion of the candle every day for seven days, pinching it out betwe en burnings. As you light it each day, say this [Name], may you be blessed May a ll good things come to you\ May nothing whatsoever harm you May your heart be li ght May your travels be safe May your health be good May your mind be sound May your friendships sustain you May you be blessed in every way If you have a speci al request for this person (such as that they find a lover, get a good job, come home safely from a war, or whatever), just add it to the list. Some people use a large pillar-type candle and keep it going for longer than seven days. They ma y make a habit of burning such a candle every day-or once a week, on Sundays -for as long as their friend or relative needs help, even doing so for months at a time. If the candle is large and it is to be burned in this way, it should be re-dressed with Blessing Oil or Holy Oil once a week: after the initial dressing , you can drop a tiny bit of oil into the "well" or hole in such a large candle just before lighting it each time. Source: http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/white-candle-spell-for-bles sing.htm Spells & Witchcraft Page | 126

Blessing for the Body To convert the senses. This blessing gives the body more c onnection with the spirit. It may also help with your readiness to channel. To b e done at night in the moon's view. Extravagance is not appreciated. The Spell: Light a large white candle. Burn sandalwood and basalm and pine. Prepare a bowl of water sprinkled with salt. Put the bowl before you. Dip your finger in the wa ter and touch it to each part of your body. Touch between your eyes and say: Ble ss my eyes that I might have clarity of vision. Touch your mouth and say: Bless my mouth that I may speak the truth. Touch your ears and say: Bless my ears that I may hear all that is spoken and all that is not. Touch your heart and say: Bl ess my heart that I may be filled with love. Touch your uterus and say: Bless my womb that I may be in touch with my creative energy that stems from the univers e. To your feet, say: Bless my feet that I may find and walk my own true path Vi sualize filling yourself with understanding and love. Extinguish the candle when done (can be used for other purposes). Source: http://www.everythingunderthemoon.net/spells/blessing-for-the-body.htm Spells & Witchcraft Page | 127

Refresh your Self Denne spell handler om at brande noget: I hver af vores liv ka n der vre tider, hvor tingene gr p ting vi har gjort til andre, eller mske noget, som gen har gjort mod dig, at er i dit sind og hjerte, at dybt problemer dig. Her er en lille velse hvis du vil at slippe af med alle disse ting, uanset hvor lnge siden de skete. Nr du har gjort dette vil du fle ny og frisk. Tag et stykke pergament og tegne en cirkel i midten. Nu uden for kredsen, skriver i et mnster ned alle de neg ative ting, der vejer tungt p dig. Tag din tid, som du gr dette, og gr det i et roligt sted, hvor du ikke bliver forstyrret. Nr du er frdig, s skriver du ned alle de positi ve ting ned inden i cirklen som du vil have i dit liv. Det kan vre fra lykke til t ilgivelse eller nsker nogen et godt helbred. Du kan skrive ned s mange af disse ting som du nsker. Nr du er frdig med at tage din tid og reflektere over alle disse ting g odt og drlige. Fold pergament seks gange og forsegle det lukket med stearin. Hold nu det foldet papir til dit hjerte og recitere. What has happened is now undone give me peace let me live in serenity all that was is no more let me begin again to refresh my life with this new score make my birds go away when this paper wi ll burn Nr du er frdig brnde du pergament, imens det brnder vil rgen stige og bre r og drmme p en mde. Written by: Jim HD - 2011 Spells & Witchcraft Page | 128

A Blessing for Self Image May you be grateful to your body For the offense it fo rgives you. May your body please you May your mind accept its forms And guide yo u among dangers and pleasures May you love yourself as you are loved. Elemental Blessing May the East fling open your windows, and fill your rooms with air; May the South send you strong sunshine, and give you the strength to dare; May the West wash rivers into your heart, and oceans into your soul; May the North share the secrets and gifts of the earth, to heal and make you whole. Nine Elements B lessing May you go forth under the strength of heaven, under the light of sun, u nder the radiance of moon. May you go forth with the splendor of fire, with the speed of lightning, with the swiftness of wind. May you go forth supported by th e depth of sea, by the stability of earth, by the firmness of rock. May you be s urrounded and encircled, with the protection of the nine elements. Luck Try to m ake this spell during a full moon: I take a stone of pure moon light, and wrap i t up in blues and whites. Feathers make my prayers loose and light. Placed insid e a small white box, In you a place,under a willows grace, and hope till then my luck, my fate. Spells & Witchcraft Page | 129

House Blessing Bless this house And all who live within her walls, May you grow and prosper here, Wise in the old ways. May your spirits soar And your bounty in crease May the larks of the sky And the spirits of the deep Enclose and protect you From all evil Bless this house. A Parting Blessing May the road rise up to m eet you. May the wind be always at your back. May the sun shine warm upon your f ields. Until we meet again, May the Goddess hold you in the hollow of her hands. Spells & Witchcraft Page | 130

Songs I am I am the sun, I am the moon, I am the flowers on the If I wonts to be loved, I will be the sun, If I wonts to will be the moon, If I wonts to be beauty, I will be the be fielded, I will be the water. I am the sun ... And so Written by: Jim HD - 2011 Songs Page | 131

grass, I am the water. be see in the night, I flowers, If I wonts to will it be.

Chants Daily sun Said daily at sunrise: Here comes the sun, Rise now with me, Burn into my heart, All energy. Brighten what I am, Soak this into me. Delight into my li fe, All I'm meant to be. Sorrow Blue is my color tonight, In two rows of four. W ith two gold ribbons, Hung high and low, upon their ends, there hangs a rose. On e red, one white. In slow mournful bites, I drink their life, to give me now, th eir peaceful sight. With each sorrowful bite, it draws me near, the blue has lef t me, true and clear. Dream charm Take a stone clear as ice, wrap me up, not onc e, but twice, In a scrap of soft blue fabric, let me lay underneath thy blanket. Hold me close, and hold me dear, Forever tranquil, in your dreams I appear. Chants Page | 132

Spirit Protection Wreath In a pot boil yellow flowers, Rosemary, lavender, Poppy , Weave a wreath from willow branches, let boil until thick. Remove wreath, tie a strip of leather to hang. Hang anywhere in your house. With the remaining liqu id, boil until thick, add wax. Pour ingredients into a candle glass, add a wick. Burn the candle to complete the protection spell. Beauty Early in the morning, I gather flowers still fresh with morning due. I seek them out in red js and whi te js, a basketful for my delight. Gently placed into the water, there they floa t with the calm. With my hand js, I twist a wreath, of fresh morning cherry blos soms, Upon my head I wear the wreath, to bring out the beauty within me, and aft er this I gently slip, Into the fresh flowered water. Meditation Six white candles set in a circle, Whilst keeping me in the center. A ll set upon a midnight taper, For adjoining the forces of nature, I take with me my favorite smell, and travel to, my peaceful cell. My patience and time, will fly away, and take me to a brand new day. Chants Page | 133

Prayer of holding Let the moon reflected in a mirror or a puddle when you say th e chant: Fly like the wind into my sight, hold thy clasp, and clasp my hand, hol d to your js unto this land. Watch from afar to see me near, always in your hear t you hold me dear. With this last mist of life I fade, forever bound to you I j m made. Undo curse Those who wish, no evil harm on me, let them live, let them b e, All of those who hold me wrong, let me break there evil song. For I am spring , and I am rain, let the light wash me pure, let the dark not find It's place. T hose who do me wrong, let them hear this song, and wash them far, far away from me. Chants Page | 134

Evocation of the Witch I am one with the universe. I am no-thing and I am everyt hing. I am the stars and the moon the seas and the storms, the breath of life, t he alchemical change, the living and the dead. I am! I am the power and the joy. I am the spirit that dances. I am the magick and the priest, the witch and the sorceress the angels and the elements omnipotent omnipresent I am! I am the past , the present, and the future. I am the void And I am the manifestation of my de sire. I am! Source: http://www.freewebs.com/thespleen/ Chants Page | 135

Elements Poem Fire on Fire Light and Power, Warmth and Energy They did generate. Earth joined them then To Life She gave Birth And solid Foundations built. Alon g came Water Some Channels to carve Through which all Energies flow. Around them All The Air did blow Winds of Thought and Deed intertwined. Power raised, Power spread Thus It Was So Mote It Be. Written by: Alernon Source: http://wiccancommunity.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archi ve.html Chants Page | 136

Born of Elements Born of Air Learning, Wisdom Blowing, Drifting We are. Born of Fire Warming, Devouring Sizzling, Crackling We are. Born of Water Healing, Clean sing Gushing, Flowing We are. Born of Earth Grounded Strongly of the Mother We a re. Written Of: Alernon Source: http://wiccancommunity.blogspot.com/2010_07_01_archi ve.html Chants Page | 137

Witches' Chant Darksome night and shining Moon, Hearken to the witches' rune. Ea st then south, west then north, Hear! Come! I call Thee forth! By all the powers of land and sea, Be obedient unto me. Wand and Pentacle and Swaord, Hearken ye unto my word. Cords and Censer, Scourge and Knife, Waken all ye into life. Power s of the witch's Blade, Come ye as the charge is made. Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell, Send your aid unto the spell. Horned Hunter of the night, Work my will by magic rite. By all the powers of land and sea, As I do say, "so mote it be." By all the might of moon and sun, As I do will, it shall be done. Source: http://web.akasha.no/bos/chant.html Chants Page | 138

The Witches Rune Darksome night and shining moon, Hearken to the witches' rune. East, then south, west then north, Here come I to call thee forth. Earth and wat er, air and fire, Work ye unto my desire. Wand and Pentacle and Sword Hearken ye unto my word. Cords and Censer, Scourge and Knife, Waken all ye into life. Powe r of the Witches Blade, Come ye as the charm is made. Queen of Heaven, Queen of Hell, Lend your aid unto the spell. Horned Hunter of the Night, Work my will by magic rite. By all the power of land and sea, As I do will, so mote it be. By al l the might of moon and sun, Chant the spell and be it done. Source: http://web.akasha.no/bos/wrune.html Chants Page | 139

Glossary Akasha The fifth element, the omnipresent spiritual power that permeates the uni verse. It is the energy out of which the Elements formed. Amulet A magickally ch arged object which deflects specific, usually negative energies. Generally, a pr otective object. Ankh An Egyptian hieroglyphic that is widely used as a symbol f or life, love, and reincarnation. It is depicted as a cross with a looped top. W hen worn or carried, the ankh brings good health, promotes fertility, and streng thens the psychic powers. ( Ankh if you love Isis! :) Asperger A bundle of fresh herbs or a perforated object used to sprinkle water during or preceding ritual, for purificatory purposes. Astral projection The art of "leaving one's body" or "lucid dreaming" whereby someone in a trance state visits other locations and r ealms. This is thought of as traveling into the astral plane which is generally conceived as a parallel world unseen in our own world of form. Astrology The bel ief and study of the effects which the movements and placements of planets and o ther heavenly bodies have on the lives and behavior of human beings. Athame "ahTHAW-may". A Wiccan ritual knife. It usually has a double-edged blade and a dark handle. The athame is used to direct personal power during ritual workings. Bal efire A fire lit for magickal purposes, usually outdoors. Balefires are traditio nal on Yule, Beltane and Midsummer. (Also great at Samhain!) Glossary Page | 140

Bane That which destroys life, which is poisonous, destructive, evil, dangerous. Beltane A Wiccan festival celebrated on April 30th or May 1st. Beltane is also known as May Eve, Roodmas. Beltane celebrates the symbolic union, mating or marr iage of the Goddess and God, and links in with the approaching summer months. Be som "bay-shum" The witches' broomstick. European folklore tells of witches ridin g their brooms through the sky which may be an uninformed explanation of astral projection. As a tool the broom is used to sweep a sacred area, ground a circle, or to brush away negative influences. Bolline The white-handled knife, used in magick and Wiccan ritual for practical purposes such as cutting herbs. Banish To magickally end something or exorcise unwanted entities. To rid the presence of. B.C.E. Before Common Era. Synonymous with B.C. without religious bias. Bells Of ten used as ritual tools. They can be used to invoke directional energies, to ri ng in the sunrise on a Sabbat, or to frighten away faeries and baneful spirits. Besom: A witch's broom. Bi-Location: A type of astral projection during which yo u maintain awareness of your present surroundings. Bind To magickally restrain s omething or someone. Blood of the Moon A woman's menstrual cycle. Should this cy cle occur over a Full Moon or New Moon, she is far more powerful than during any other time of the month, as long as she acknowledges this strength within herse lf. Glossary Page | 141

Book of Shadows A Wiccan book of rituals, spells and magickal lore. Once hand co pied upon initiation, the BOS is now photocopied or typed in some covens. No one "true" BOS exists; all are relevant to their respective users. The Burning Time s Reference to a historical time from around 1000 C.E. through the 17th century when it is said that up to nine million people were tortured and burned by churc h and public officials on the assumption that they were the Christian version of Witches. This turned into an extremely profitable venture, as all land and prop erty was seized from the accused individual and portions given to the accuser (i n reward fashion) and the remainder seized by the church officials. Historians i ndicate that the majority of people tortured and murdered were woman and childre n. Cauldron Linked to witchcraft in the popular mind, this is a primal Goddess i mage used like a chalice or cup. Censer A heat-proof container in which incense is smouldered. An incense burner. It symbolized the Element of Air. Call Invokin g Divine forces. Chalice The chalice or cup as a ritual took represents water an d the west, and it is also representative of the feminine principle. Chalices ar e used, but a cauldron is preferable. Charging The act of empowering herbs, ston es, or other magickal objects with one's own energies directed towards a magicka l goal. Charging is synonymous with enchanting. Glossary Page | 142

Circle The sacred space wherein all magick is to be worked. The circle contains raised energy and provides protection for the witch. It is created and banished with his or her own energy. Many books on magick include in-depth discussions on circle lore and practice, and it is recommended that students of the craft stud y these carefully. Conscious Mind The analytical, materially-based, rational hal f or our consciousness. The mind at work when we compute our taxes, theorize or struggle with ideas. Coven A group of witches who worship and work together, usu ally initiatory and led by one or two leaders. Covenstead An obsolete name for t he area encompassed by an individual coven.. Deosil "jes-l" Clockwise, the direc tion of the Sun's apparent motion in the sky. Divination The magickal art of dis covering the unknown by interpreting random patterns or symbols through the use of tools such as clouds, tarot cards, flames, smoke. Divination contacts the psy chic mind by tricking or drowsing the conscious mind through ritual and observat ion or of manipulation of tools. Divination isn't necessary for those who can ea sily attain communication with the psychic mind, though they may practice it. Di vine Power The unmanifested, pure energy that exists within the Goddess and God. The life force, the ultimate source of all things. Drawing Down The Moon Ancien t Pagan ritual enacted at the esbats to draw the powers of the full moon, in her aspect of Great Mother Goddess, into the body of a female witch. Glossary Page | 143

Duality The opposite of polarity. Duality separates two opposites such as good a nd evil and places those characteristics into two separate god-forms. Earth Powe r That energy which exists within stones, herbs, flames, wind and other natural objects. It is manifested divine power and can be utilized during magick to crea te needed change. Elements The: Earth, Air, Fire, Water. These four essences are the building blocks of the universe. Everything that exists (or that has potent ial to exist) contains one or more of these energies. The elements hum within ou rselves and are also "at large" in the world. They can be utilized to cause chan ge through magick. The four elements formed from the primal essence of power- Ak asha. Elemental Archetypal spirit being associated with one of the four elements . Esbat The time of the full moon which is celebrated monthly. The word is from the French esbattre meaning to gambol or frolic. Evocation Calling up spirits or other non-physical entities, either to visible appearence or invisible attendan ce. God The masculine aspect of deity. Goddess The feminine aspect of deity. Gri moire A magickal workbook containing ritual information, formulae, magickal prop erties of natural objects and preparation of ritual equipment. Glossary Page | 144

Handfasting Pagan marriage, traditionally contracted for a nine-year period, the n renewed if agreed upon by both parties. Herbalism The art of using herbs to fa cilitate human needs both magickally and medically. Imbolc A Wiccan festival cel ebrated on February 2nd, also known as Candlemas, Feast of Pan and many other na mes. Imbolc celebrates the first stirrings of spring and recovery of the Goddess from giving birth to the Sun (the God) at Yule. Incense Herbs, oils, or other a romatic item which are burned to scent the air during acts of magick and ritual. Incense is associated with the element air. Initiation A process whereby an ind ividual is introduced or admitted into a group, interest, skill or religion. Ini tiations may be ritual occasions but can also occur spontaneously. Invocation An appeal or petition to a higher power (or powers), such as the Goddess and God. A prayer. Invocation is actually a method of establishing conscious ties with th ose aspects of the Goddess and God that dwell within us. In essence, then, we se emingly cause them to appear or make themselves known by becoming aware of them. Karma A Hindustani word which reflects the ancient belief that good and evil do ne will return to be visited on a person either in this life or in a succeeding one. Labrys A double-headed axe which symbolized the Goddess in ancient Crete, s till used by some Wiccans for this same purpose. The labrys may be placed on or leaned against the left side of the altar. Glossary Page | 145

Lughnasadh "Loo-nas-sah" A Wiccan festival celebrated on August 1st, also known as August Eve, Lammas. Lughnasadh marks the first harvest, when the fruits of th e Earth are cut and stored for the dark winter months, when the God also mysteri ously weakens as the days grow shorter. Mabon On or around September 21st, the a utumn equinox, Wiccans celebrate the second harvest. Nature is preparing for win ter. Mabon is a vestige of ancient harvest festivals which, in some form or anot her, were once nearly universal among peoples of the Earth. Magick The movement of natural energies to create needed change. Energy exists within all things- ou rselves, plants, stones, colors, sounds, movements. Magick is the process of rou sing or building up this energy, giving it purpose, and releasing it. Magick is a natural, not supernatural, practice, though it is little understood. Magick Ci rcle A sphere constructed of personal power in which Wiccan rituals are usually enacted. The term refers ti the circle that marks the sphere's penetration of th e ground, for it extends both above and below it. It is created through visualiz ation and magick. Meditation Reflection, contemplation, turning inward toward th e self or outward toward Deity or nature. A quiet time in which the practitioner may dwell upon particular thoughts or symbols, or allow them to come unbidden. Megalith A huge stone monument or structure. Stonehenge is perhaps the best-know n example of megalithic construction. Menhir A standing stone probably lifted by early peoples for religious, spiritual or magickal reasons. Glossary Page | 146

Midsummer The summer solstice, usually on or near June 21st, one of the Wiccan f estivals and an excellent night for magick. Midsummer marks the point of the yea r when the Sun is symbolically at the height of its powers, and so too the God. The longest day of the year. Mighty Ones Being, deities or presences often invok ed during Wiccan ceremony to witness or guard the rituals. The Mighty Ones are t hought to be either spiritually evolved beings, once human, or spiritual entitie s created by or charged by the Goddess and God to protect the Earth and to watch over the four directions. They are sometimes linked with the Elements. Neo-Paga n Literally, new-Pagan. A member, follower or sympathizer of one of the newly fo rmed Pagan religions now spreading throughout the world. All Wiccans are Pagan, but not all Pagans are Wiccan. Ogham Alphabet "oh-gom" Runic writing of the anci ent Celts. Credit for the inception of this phonetic writing system is given to the Druids. Old Ones A Wiccan term often used to encompass all aspects of the Go ddess and God. Some Wiccans view it as an alternative of The Mighty Ones. Ostara "O-star-ah" Occurring at the spring equinox, around March 21st, Ostara marks th e beginning of true, astronomical spring, when snow and ice make way for green. As such, it is a fire and fertility festival, celebrating the return of the Sun, and God and the fertility of the Earth (the Goddess). Pagan From the Latin paga nus, country-dweller. Today used as a general term for followers of Wicca and ot her magickal, shamanistic and polytheistic religions. Naturally, Christians have their own peculiar definition of this word. It can be interchanged with Neo-Pag an. Glossary Page | 147

Pantheism The belief in many deities who are really one because they are all mer ely aspects of the single creative life source. Witchcraft is a pantheistic reli gion. Passing Over A ritual observed when a loved one has died. This ceremony in cluded keening and candle lighting, then feasting and revelry. Pendulum A divina tory device consisting of a string attached to a heavy object, such as a quartz crystal, root or ring. The free end of the string is held in the hand, and the e lbow steadied against a flat surface, and a question is asked. The movement of t he heavy object's swing determines the answer. A rotation indicates yes or posit ive energy. A back and forth swing signals the opposite. (There are many methods of deciphering the pendulum's movement; use those that work best for you.) It i s a tool which contacts the psychic mind. Pentacle A ritual object (usually a ci rcular piece of wood, metal, clay, etc.) upon which a five-pointed star (Pentagr am) is inscribed, painted or engraved. It represents the Element of Earth. The w ords "pentagram" and "pentacle" are not interchangeable, though they understanda ble cause some confusion. Pentagram The five-pointed star which has come to symb olize The Craft. It is an ancient symbol with multiple meanings. It is always us ed with an upward apex. Not a "Devil symbol" as modern Christianity teaches, it represents the four elements plus spirit, it represents a human being with arms and legs spread, and it stands for spirit over matter. Satanist cults often take the pentagram and invert it to signify matter over spirit. Personal Power That energy which sustains our bodies. It ultimately originates from the Goddess and God (or, rather, the power behind Them). We first absorb it from our biological mothers within the womb and, later, from food, water, the Moon and Sun and other natural objects. We release personal power during stress, exercise, sex, concep tion and childbirth. Magick is often a movement of personal power for a specific goal. Glossary Page | 148

Polarity The concept of equal, opposite energies. The Eastern yin/yang is a perf ect example. Yin is cold; yang is hot. Other examples of polarity: Goddess/God, night/day, Moon/Sun, birth/death, dark/light, psychic mind/conscious mind. Unive rsal balance. Polytheism The belief in the existence of many unrelated deities w ith their won dominion and interests that have no spiritual relationship to one another. Projective Hand The hand that is normally used for manual activities su ch as writing, peeling apples and dialing telephones is symbolically thought to be the point at which personal power is sent from the body. In ritual, personal power is visualized as streaming out form the palm or fingers of the hand for va rious magickal goals. This is also the hand in which tool such as the athame and wand are held. Ambidextrous persons simply choose which hand to utilize for thi s purpose. Psychic Mind The subconscious or unconscious mind, in which we receiv e psychic impulses. The psychic mind is at work when we sleep, dream and meditat e. It is our direct link with the Goddess and God and with the larger, non-physi cal world around up. Other related terms: Divination is a ritual process which u tilizes the Conscious Mind to contact the psychic mind. Intuition is a term used to describe psychic information which unexpectedly reaches the conscious mind. Psychism The act of being consciously psychic, in which the psychic mind and con scious mind are linked and working in harmony. Ritual consciousness is a form of psychism. Receptive Hand The left hand in right-handed persons, the reverse for left-handed persons. This is the hand through which energy is received into the body. Reincarnation The belief that the souls of living things return to the ea rth plane in another body after death. A basic tenet of Paganism. Glossary Page | 149

Ritual Ceremony. A specific form of movement, manipulation of objects or inner p rocesses designed to produce desired effects. In religion, ritual is geared towa rd union with the divine. In magick it produces a specific state of consciousnes s which allows the magician to move energy toward needed goals. A spell is a mag ickal ritual. Ritual Consciousness A specific, alternate state of awareness nece ssary to the successful practice of magick. The magician achieves this through t he use of visualization and ritual. It denotes a state in which the conscious mi nd and psychic mind are attuned, in which the magician sense energies, gives the m purpose and released them toward the magickal goal. It is a heightening of the senses, an awareness-expansion of the seemingly non-physical world, a linking w ith nature and with for forces behind all conceptions of Deity. Runes Stick-like figures, some of which are remnants of the old Teutonic alphabets. Others are p ictographs. These symbols are once again widely being used in magick and divinat ion. Sabbat A great festival of observance of the Pagan year (there are eight sa bbats per year). The word is from the Greek sabatu meaning "to rest." Samhain "S ow-wen" A Wiccan festival celebrated on October 31st, also known as November Eve , Hallowmas, Halloween, Feast of Souls. Samhain marks the symbolic death of the Sun God and His passing into the "land of the young," where He awaits rebirth of the Mother Goddess at Yule. This Celtic word is pronounced by Wiccan as: SOW-we n; SEW-wen; SAHM-hain; SAHM-ain; SAV-een and other ways. The first seems to be t he one preferred among most Wiccans. Scrying To gaze at or into an object (a qua rtz crystal sphere, pool of water, reflection, a candle flame) to still the cons cious mind and to contact the psychic mind. This allows the scryer to become awa re of possible events prior to their actual occurrence, as well as of previous o r distant, simultaneous events through other than the normally accepted senses. A form of divination. Glossary Page | 150

Shaman A man or woman who has obtained knowledge of the subtler dimensions of th e Earth, usually through periods of alternate states of consciousness. Various t ypes of ritual allow the shaman to pierce the veil of the physical world and to experience the realm of energies. This knowledge lends the shaman the power to c hange her or his world through magick. Shamanism The practice of shamans, usuall y ritualistic or magickal in nature, sometimes religous. Simple Feast A ritual m eal shared with the Goddess and God. Skyclad Ritual nudity, a common pratice wit hin the Gardnerian tradition of Wicca. In the Old Religion of Ireland, going sky clad is ALWAYS a personal choice. Solitary A Witch or other Pagan who works and worships alone without the aid of a coven. Spell A magickal ritual, usually nonreligious in nature and often accompanied by spoken words. Spirits of the Stones The elemental emergies naturally inherent at the four directions of the magick circle, personified within the standing stones tradition as the "Spirits of the Stones." They are linked with the Elements Staff Ritual tool which corresponds t o the wand in Wicca. (a cane.) The Summerland The Wiccan land of the dead, where you go when you die to wait to be reincarnated. Glossary Page | 151

Talisman An object, such as an amethyst crystal, ritually charged with power to attract a specific force or energy to its bearer. Threefold Law The karmic princ iple of The Craft. It states that any energy sent will return to the sender thre e times over. Tradition The branch of Paganism followed by any individual Witch or coven. The word is synonymous with "path." Witta is one tradition of Paganism . Trilithon A stone arch made from two upright slabs with one lying atop these. Trilithons are featured in Stonehenge as well as the circle visualization in The Standing Stones Book of Shadows. Triple Goddess The one Goddess in all of her t hree aspects: maiden, mother, and crone. This theme of triple feminine deity has been found in nearly every known culture. Visualization The process of forming mental images. Magical visualization consists of forming images of needed goals during ritual. Visualization is also used to direct personal power and natural e nergies during magick for various purposes, including charging and forming the m agick circle. It is a function of the conscious mind. Wand A ritual tool brought to The Craft through ceremonial magick. Made of usualy of wood, the wand symbol izes the element of air and the direction or east. White-Handled Knife A normal cutting knife, with a sharp blade and white handle. It is used within Wicca to c ut herbs and fruits, to slice bread during the simple feast and for other functi ons. Sometimes called the bolline. Glossary Page | 152

Wicca A tradition of Witchcraft. A contemporary Pagan religion with spiritual ro ots in Shamanism and the earliest expressions of reverence of nature. Among its major motifs are: reverence for the Goddess and God; reincarnation; magick; ritu al observances of the Full Moon, astronomical and agricultural phenomena; sphero id temples, created with personal power, in which rituals occur. Wiccan Rede Thi s is the basic tenet of Witchcraft. "As ye harm none, do what thou will." The re de prohibits Witches from harming any other living thing, or from violating the free will of any living thing. Widdershins Anti-clockwise motion, usually used i n the Northen Hemisphere for negative magickal purposes or for dispersing negati ve energies or conditions such as disease. Witch Anciently, a European practitio ner of the remnants of pre-Christian folk magick, particularly that relating to herbs, healing, wells, rivers and stones. One who practiced Witchcraft. Later, t his term's meaning was deliberately altered to denote demented, dangerous, super natural beings who practiced destructive magick and who threatened Christianity. This change was a political, monetary and sexist move on the part of organized religion, not a change in the practices of Witches. This later, erroneous meanin g is still accepted by many non-Witches. It is also, somewhat surprisingly, used by some members of Wicca to describe themselves. Witchcraft The craft of the Wi tch-magick, especially magick utilizing personal power in conjunction with the e nergies within stones, herbs, colors and other natural objects. While this may h ave spiritual overtones, Witchcraft, using this definition, isn't a religion. Ho wever, some followers of Wicca use this word to denote their religion. Glossary Page | 153

Yule A Wiccan festival celebrate on or about December 21st, marking the rebirth of the Sun God from the Earth Goddess. A time of joy and celebration during the miseries of winter. Yule occurs on the winter solstice. Source: http://magickgarden.freehostia.com/Dictionary.html Page | 154

Finding a Teacher, Mentor or Guide As I have mentioned in a couple of other places on this site, there is and alway s has been a great deal of concern regarding Cults throughout the world. While W icca, Paganism and Witchcraft are clearly Spiritual Belief systems and a way of life instead of "Cults," there are some out there who do seek power and desire t o manipulate or control others for their own gain. As is the case in all walks o f life, there really isn't a way to block or keep these types from infiltrating the Pagan, Wicca and Witchcraft community. I suppose that in some way's we are e ven more prone to it than other groups because that type of person generally has a limited grasp on reality and probably believes that following the Old Way's w ill offer them the ability to master the outlandish and ridiculous skills and po wers that Hollywood has led some to believe Witches posess. When your comfort le vel with the concepts of the Pagan path have grown to the point where you are ce rtain that this is the lifestyle you wish to follow, you will undoubtedly wish t o share that fellowship and comradery with others of like mind and spirit. To av oid being drawn into a group where the intent is less than honorable, there are a couple of things that may assist you in avoiding contact with the nuts out the re. The first and most important thing is to listen to your Spirit Twin, Guide, Little Voice, Gut Feeling or whatever you choose to call it. Most of us have fou nd that this inner voice is rarely wrong and you "WILL" know when something simp ly does not feel right. If you get that uneasy feeling about someone or a group, back or run away as quickly as possible. When you initially make contact with s omeone, especially here on the internet, you have a great advantage in that you can limit your contact to relatively anonymous contact through e-mail. While thi s is not always fool proof, and there are some great deceivers out there. This d oes offer you some protection. Exchange mail withholding all personal informatio n until you are absolutely certain there are no safety risks. If someone keeps p ressuring you for personal information, break off all contact with them immediat ely. If they persist in bothering you after you politely tell them you no longer wish contact with them, contact your ISP and lodge a formal complaint giving th is persons e-mail address and their host name. There are federal laws regarding electronic stalking and harassment, something of this nature would qualify for a ssistance from various federal agencies in getting that person to leave you alon e. Finding a Teacher, Mentor or Guide Page | 155

Finally, Issac Bonewits developed a small questionnaire in 1979 (Advanced Bonewi ts Cult Danger Evaluation Frame) that you can use which will help your inner voi ce when determining if an individual or group poses above average risk. That que stionnaire is provided here with his permission as well as a link to his web sit e for your further information and studies. Written by: Herne Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/teacher.htm Finding a Teacher, Mentor or Guide Page | 156

How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Military Views on Wicca - US Army Excerpt from the U.S. Army's Religious Require ments and Practices of Certain Selected Groups: A Handbook for Chaplains (pgs 23 1-236). Available from: USAF Chaplain's Service Institute Resource Division 525 Chenault Circle Maxwell AFB Montgomery, AL 36112-6429 WICCA ADDRESS: No central address. Wiccan worship groups, called covens, are essentially autonomous. Many, but far from all, have affiliated with: Covenant of the Goddess P.O. Box 1226 B erkeley, CA 94704 OTHER NAMES BY WHICH KNOWN Witchcraft; Goddess worshippers; Ne o-Paganism, Paganism, Norse (or any other ethnic designation) Earth Religion, Ol d Religion, Druidism, Shamanism. Note: All of these groups have some basic simil arities and many surface differences of expression with Wicca. LEADERSHIP No cen tral leadership. The Covenant of the Goddess annually elects a First Officer and there is a constitutional limit of two consecutive terms, but in practice offic ers have almost always served for one year only. In 1991, there are two Co-First Officers, Phoenix Whitebirch and Brandy Williams. MEMBERSHIP Because of the com plete autonomy of covens, this cannot be determined. There are an estimated of 5 0,000 Wiccans in the United States. (Hernes note: This number is now substantial ly higher and estimated at over 200,000. Wicca is currently the fastest growing spiritual path in the U.S.) How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Page | 157

HISTORICAL ORIGIN Wicca is a reconstruction of the Nature worship of tribal Euro pe, strongly influenced by the Living Nature worship traditions of tribal people s in other parts of the world. The works of such early twentieth century writers as Margaret Murray, Robert Graves and Gerald B. Gardner began the renewal of in terest in the Old Religion. After the repeal of the anti-Witchcraft laws in Brit ain in 1951, Gardner publicly declared himself a Witch and began to gather a gro up of students and worshipers. In 1962, two of his students, Raymond and Rosemar y Buckland (religious names: Lady Rowen and Robat), emigrated to the United Stat es and began teaching Gardnerian Witchcraft here. At the same time, other groups of people became interested through reading books by Gardner and others. Many c ovens were spontaneously formed, using rituals created from a combination of res earch and individual inspiration. These self-created covens are today regarded a s just as valid as those who can trace a "lineage" of teaching back to England. In 1975, a very diverse group of covens who wanted to secure the legal protectio ns and benefits of church status formed Covenant of the Goddess (CoG), which is incorporated in the State of California and recognized by the Internal Revenue S ervice. CoG does not represent all, or even a majority of Wiccans. A coven or an individual need not be affiliated with CoG in order to validly practice the rel igion. But CoG is the largest single public Wiccan organization, and it is cross -Traditional (i.e. non-denominational). BASIC BELIEFS Wiccans worship the sacred as immanent in Nature, often personified as Mother Earth and Father Sky. As pol ytheists, they may use many other names for Deity. Individuals will often choose Goddesses or Gods from any of the world's pantheons whose stories are particula rly inspiring and use those Deities as a focus for personal devotions. Similarly , covens will use particular Deity names as a group focus, and these are often h eld secret by the groups. It is very important to be aware that Wiccans do not i n any way worship or believe in "Satan," "the Devil," or any similar entities. T hey point out that "Satan" is a symbol of rebellion against and inversion of the Christian and Jewish traditions. Wiccans do not revile the Bible. They simply r egard it as one among many of the world's mythic systems, less applicable than s ome to their core values, How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Page | 158

but still deserving just as much respect as any of the others. Most Wiccan group s also practice magic, by which they mean the direction and use of "psychic ener gy," those natural but invisible forces which surround all living things. Some m embers spell the word "magick," to distinguish it from sleight of hand entertain ments. Wiccans employ such means as dance, chant, creative visualization and hyp nosis to focus and direct psychic energy for the purpose of healing, protecting and aiding members in various endeavors. Such assistance is also extended to non -members upon request. Many, but not all, Wiccans believe in reincarnation. Some take this as a literal description of what happens to people when they die. For others, it is a symbolic model that helps them deal with the cycles and changes within this life. Neither Reincarnation nor any other literal belief can be use d as a test of an individual's validity as a member of the Old Religion. Most gr oups have a handwritten collection of rituals and lore, known as a Book of Shado ws. Part of the religious education of a new member will be to hand copy this bo ok for him or herself. Over they years, as inspiration provides, new material wi ll be added. Normally, access to these books is limited to initiated members of the religion. PRACTICES AND BEHAVIORAL STANDARDS The core ethical statement of W icca, called the "Wiccan Rede" states "an it harm none, do what you will." The r ede fulfills the same function as does the "Golden Rule" for Jews and Christians ; all other ethical teachings are considered to be elaborations and applications of the Rede. It is a statement of situational ethics, emphasizing at once the i ndividual's responsibility to avoid harm to others and the widest range of perso nal autonomy in "victimless" activities. Wicca has been described as having a "h igh-choice" ethic. Because of the basic Nature orientation of the religion, many Wiccans will regard all living things as Sacred, and show a special concern for ecological issues. For this reason, individual conscience will lead some to tak e a pacifist position. Some are vegetarians. Others will feel that, as Nature's Way includes self-defense, they should participate in wars that they conscientio usly consider to be just. The religion does not dictate either position, but req uires each member to thoughtfully and meditatively examine her or his own consci ence and to live by it. Social forces generally do not yet allow Witches to publ icly declare their religious faith without fear of reprisals such as loss of job , child custody challenges, ridicule, etc. Prejudice against How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Page | 159

Wiccans is the result of public confusion between Witchcraft and Satanism. Wicca ns in the military, especially those who may be posted in countries perceived to be particularly intolerant, will often have their dog tags read "No Religious P reference." Concealment is a traditional Wiccan defense against persecution, so non-denominational dog tags should not contravene a member's request for religio us services. Wiccans celebrate eight festivals, called "Sabbats," as a means of attunement to the seasonal rhythms of Nature. These are January 31 (Called Oimel c, Brigit, or February Eve), March 21 (Ostara or Spring Equinox), April 30 (Belt ane or May Eve), June 22 (Midsummer, Litha or Summer Solstice), July 31 (Lunasa or Lammas), September 21 (Harvest, Mabon or Autumn Equinox), October 31 (Samhain , Sowyn or Hallows), and December 21 (Yule or Winter Solstice.) Some groups find meetings within a few days of those dates to be acceptable, others require the precise date. In addition, most groups will meet for worship at each Full Moon, and many will also meet on the New Moon. Meetings for religious study will often be scheduled at any time convenient to the members, and rituals can be schedule d whenever there is a need (i.e. for a healing). Ritual jewelry is particularly important to many Wiccans. In addition to being a symbol of religious dedication , these talismans are often blessed by the coven back home and felt to carry the coven's protective and healing energy. ORGANIZATIONAL STRUCTURE Most Wiccans me et with a coven, a small group of people. Each coven is autonomous. Most are hea ded by a High Priestess, often with the assistance of a High Priest. Some are he aded by a High Priestess or High Priest without a partner, and some regard thems elves as a gathering of equals. Covens can be of mixed gender, or all female or male, depending on the preferences of the members. Every initiate is considered to be a priestess or priest. Most covens are small. Thirteen is the traditional maximum number of members, although not an absolute limit. At that size covens f orm a close bond, so Wiccans in the military are likely to maintain a strong aff iliation with their covens back home. There are many distinct "Traditions" of Wi cca, just as there are many denominations within Christianity. The spectrum of W iccan practice can be described as ranging from "traditional" to "eclectic," wit h Traditions, covens and individuals fitting anywhere within that range. A typic al difference would be that more traditional How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Page | 160

groups would tend to follow a set liturgy, whereas eclectic groups would emphasi ze immediate inspiration in worship. These distinctions are not particularly imp ortant to the military chaplain, since it is unlikely that enough members of any one Tradition would be at the same base. Worship circles at military facilities are likely to be ad-hoc crossTraditional groups, working out compromise styles of worship for themselves and constantly adapting them to a changing membership. Therefore, the lack of strict adherence to the patterns of any one Tradition is not an indicator of invalidity. While many Wiccans meet in a coven, there are a lso a number of solitairies. These are individuals who choose to practice their faith alone. The may have been initiated in a coven or self initiated. They will join with other Wiccans to celebrate the festivals or to attend the various reg ional events organized by the larger community. ROLE OF MINISTERS Within a tradi tional coven, the High Priestess, usually assisted by her High Priest, serves bo th as leader in the rituals and as teacher and counselor for coven members and u naffiliated Pagans. Eclectic covens tend to share leadership more equally. WORSH IP Wiccans usually worship in groups. Individuals who are currently not affiliat ed with a coven, or are away from their home coven, may choose to worship privat ely or may form ad-hoc groups to mark religious occasions. Nonparticipating obse rvers are not generally welcome at Wiccan rituals. Some, but not all, Wiccan cov ens worship in the nude (skyclad) as a sign of attunement with Nature. Most, but not all, Wiccan covens bless and share a cup of wine as part of the ritual. Alm ost all Wiccans use an individual ritual knife (an "athame") to focus and direct personal energy. Covens often also have ritual swords to direct the energy of t he group. These tools, like all other ritual tools, are highly personal and shou ld never leave the possession of the owner. Other commonly used ritual tools inc lude a bowl of water, a bowl of salt, a censer with incense, a disk with symbols engraved on it (a "pentacle"), statues or artwork representing the Goddess and God, and candles. Most groups will bless and share bread or cookies along with t he wine. All of these items are used in individual, private worship as well as i n congregate rituals. How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Page | 161

FUNERAL AND BURIAL REQUIREMENTS None. Recognition of the death of a member takes place within the coven, apart from the body of the deceased. Ritual tools, mate rials, or writings found among the effects of the deceased should be returned to their home coven (typically a member will designate a person to whom ritual mat erials should be sent). It is desirable for a Wiccan priest or priestess to be p resent at the time of death, but not strictly necessary. If not possible, the be st assistance would be to make the member as comfortable as possible, listen to whatever they have to say, honor any possible requests, and otherwise leave them as quiet and private as possible. MEDICAL TREATMENT No medical restrictions. Wi ccans generally believe in the efficacy of spiritual or psychic healing when don e in tandem with standard medical treatment. Therefore, at the request of the pa tient, other Wiccan personnel should be allowed visiting privileges as though th ey were immediate family, including access to Intensive Care Units. Most Wiccans believe that healing energy can be sent from great distances, so, if possible, in the case of any serious medical condition, the member's home coven should be notified. OTHER With respect to attitude toward military service, Wiccans range from career military personnel to conscientious objectors. Wiccans do not prosel ytize and generally resent those who do. They believe that no one Path to the Sa cred is right for all people, and see their own religious pattern as only one am ong many that are equally worthy. Wiccans respect all religions that foster hono r and compassion in their adherents, and expect the same respect. Members are en couraged to learn about all faiths, and are permitted to attend the services of other religions, should they desire to do so. Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/military.htm How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Page | 162

A Christian Speaks of Wicca and Witchcraft I am a Christian and not a Wiccan. A Christian is one who has been baptized in the name of the Father, Son, and Holy Spirit, and who has made a personal, free-will decision to commit himself and al l his or her life to our Lord and God and Savior, Jesus Christ. Both of these th ings are true of me. I am a member of St. Mary's Eastern Orthodox Church, Calhan , Colorado. In this paper, I am not speaking as agent for any church, but I am, entirely on my own responsibility, speaking the truth in love, as we Christians are supposed to do. A Situation of Strife and Shame There are many Christians to day who believe that anyone who is not a Christian is doomed to an eternity of s uffering in hell. Any decent person, believing this, would be compelled to try t o save as many people from this fate as possible. But is this belief correct? Je sus Christ, having noted the faith and righteousness of a Roman centurion, a Pag an, proclaimed: "Assuredly I say to you, I have not found such great faith, not even in Israel! And I say to you that many will come from east and west, and sit down with Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob in the kingdom of heaven. But the sons of t he kingdom will be cast out into outer darkness. There will be weeping and gnash ing of teeth." (Matthew 8:10-12) If we accept these words as true, and surely we should, then it is clear that heaven will contain many who are not Christians, and hell will contain many who are! Clearly, throughout the Gospels, Jesus Chris t sets forth the criteria for entrance into the kingdom of heaven, and those cri teria include love, kindness, forgiveness, and a refusal to judge others: "For i f you forgive men their trespasses, your heavenly Father will also forgive you. But if you do not forgive men their trespasses, neither will your Father forgive your trespasses." (Matthew 6:14-15) "For with what judgment you judge, you will be judged; and with the same measure you use, it will be measured back to you." (Matthew 7:2) "But go and learn what this means: `I desire mercy and not sacrif ice.'" (Matthew 9:13) "Therefore be merciful, just as your Father also is mercif ul. Judge not, and you shall not be judged. Condemn not, and you shall not be co ndemned. Forgive, and you will be forgiven." (Luke 6:36-38) Is it not clear? Any one who fails in these things, will calling himself a Christian How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Page | 163

save him? Anyone who obeys God in these things, will being unbaptized condemn hi m? Jesus said, "Not everyone who says to Me, `Lord, Lord,' shall enter the kingd om of heaven, but he who does the will of My Father in heaven." (Matthew 7:21) Y et it is not by good works that we earn our way into heaven, because there is no way we can earn the free gift of God's mercy and grace, which alone can save us . But it is clear that it is not by faith, in the sense of sharing the Christian faith, that we are saved, either. The faith which saves us is not faith in the goodness of our works, nor faith that we have the right theology and/or belong t o the right church. Rather, it is faith in God, and in His mercy: "So then it is not of him who wills, nor of him who runs, but of God who has mercy." (Romans 9 :16) But the Wiccans, you will say, do not have faith in God. Yet by their own t heology, they certainly do. Those who call them Satan-worshippers are entirely w rong. They do not worship Satan, or even believe that Satan exists. Instead, the y worship a Goddess and a God whom they understand as manifestations of a higher and unknown Deity. Now if you are a Christian, this will sound familiar to you, and it should. In the Bible we find the following: "Then Paul stood in the mids t of the Areopagus and said, `Men of Athens, I perceive that in all things you a re very religious; for as I was passing through and considering the objects of y our worship, I even found an altar with this inscription: TO THE UNKNOWN GOD. Th erefore, The One whom you worship without knowing, Him I proclaim to you" (Acts 17:22-23) The Wiccans worship the Unknown God, as manifested to them in the form of a Goddess and a God. Therefore, our Bible tells us they worship the same God we do; and if they do not know this, we should know it! For those of us who are unable to simply stand on God's Word, and must prove to themselves the truth of what it proclaims the holy Apostle John has given us the method for doing this. You have only to attend any public Wiccan ceremony, and test the spirits which are there, to see "whether they are of God" (1 John 4:1). You will find that, wh ile the power manifested there may be less than what you have experienced as a C hristian, that power is clearly the power of God. Dear brothers and sisters in C hrist, these people of Wicca have been terribly How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Page | 164

slandered by us. They have lost jobs, and homes, and places of business because we have assured others that they worship Satan, which they do not. We have perse cuted them, and God will hold us accountable for this, you may be sure, for He h as said, "Assuredly I say to you, inasmuch as you did it to one of the least of these My brethren, you did it to Me." (Matthew 25:40) Let us, from this point on ward, repent of our misdeeds and declare that henceforth we shall obey Christ ou r God, and not judge others or condemn them, so that He will not have to judge a nd condemn us for our sins. Written by: James Clement Taylor Source: http://wicca.com/celtic/wicca/christian .htm How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Page | 165

The Bible's view of pagans and witches The Bible's view of pagans and witches ar e very bad 5. Genesis Chapter 12 You must destroy the pagan offering places thro ughout the country on the mountains, the hills and under trees. Take down the al tars, cast stone the pillars in pieces, throw asjera poles in the fire, breaking idols and destroy anything that has whit there belief to do! But what should th ey do to get us believe in Christianity. On that time they could only scare peop le to get them to convert. Written by: Jim HD - 2011 Source: http://www.udfordringen.dk/bibel/ How others look at Wicca and Wiccans Page | 166

Translated By This document are translated from Danish to English by Google translated and the autho r Jim HD. If some of the translating are wrong then you can help by Email the co rrect translating to qeentu.support@gmail.com and it could be nice if you remember to call it some thing Wicca . Translated By Page | 167